Organometallic Studies on the Mechanism of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Reductive polymerization of carbon monoxide on heterogeneous catalysts provides hydrocarbons, and is well known as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Interest in the mechanism is focused on an initial stage of the reaction, i.e. how to hydrogenate carbon monoxide by metallic species. Two mechanisms have been proposed on the reduction of CO. One involves dissociative cleavage of CO by metals to metal carbide and metal oxide. Another is through stepwise reduction of CO by hydride reduction followed by protonation. Many model reactions have been provided using mononuclear metal complexes or small metal clusters, contributing to an understanding of the mechanism. This article reviews the recent advances.