Electronic factors in catalysis

A review is given of our present understanding of catalytic chemical reactions on metal surfaces. The basis for the discussion will be the electronic structure of the adsorption systems, and an attempt will be made to single out some of the important properties of the reactants, intermediates, products and the surface that determine the reactivity. Trends in reactivity from one metal to the next, structural sensitivity, and poisoning and promotion are discussed in these terms. The role of micro-kinetic models as a bridge between the microscopic description of the surface processes on the atomic scale and the macroscopic kinetics under industrially relevant conditions will be stressed.