Kinetic analysis of cluster size dependent activity and selectivity

The impact of nanoparticle size effects in heterogeneous catalytic kinetics over supported metal catalysts is discussed taking into account different activities of edges and terraces. Kinetic equations for the Eley–Rideal mechanism as well as for the two-step sequence were derived, analyzed and compared with experimental data for ethene hydrogenation. Quantitative description for selectivity in a consecutive reaction of pyrrole hydrogenation/ring opening as function of the metal cluster size is provided demonstrating good correspondence between theory and experiments.