Explanations of the Formation of Products during Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over Iron Catalysts

The formation of products of iron-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactions was explained by the modified alkylidene mechanism. According to this mechanism, straight-chain 1-alkenes and alkanes were produced from the growing-chain 1-alkylidene, while branched hydrocarbons were formed from the growth of 2-alkylidene that was produced from the readsorbed 1-alkenes. The H2/D2 switching experiments showed that unlike 1-alkenes, 2-alkenes were not formed from the growing chain, and therefore they are the secondary products of the FT reactions.