THE STRUCTURE SENSITIVITY AND INSENSITIVITY OF CATALYTIC REACTIONS IN LIGHT OF THE ADSORBATE INDUCED DYNAMIC RESTRUCTURING OF SURFACES

The classification of catalytic reactions to structure sensitive and structure insensitive types has stood up well to the tests of experiments over the past two decades. Model studies using metal single crystal surfaces explored the relationship between the reaction kinetics and the atomic surface structure. These investigations uncovered the adsorbate induced dynamic restructuring of metal surfaces on the timescales of chemisorption, catalytic reactions and on longer times controlled by mass transport. The causes of reaction structure sensitivity and insensitivity are reinterpreted in view of the dynamic restructuring of the metal catalysts. © 1991 J.C. Baltzer A.G., Scientific Publishing Company.