Development of ideas concerning the mechanism of the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

The principal stages in the development of ideas concerning the mechanism of the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and its modifications are examined and the available literature data about the synthesis are surveyed. Attention has been concentrated on the analysis of modern ideas concerning the mechanism of the interaction of CO and H₂ on the basis of the latest advances in metal complex catalysis. The possibility of the existence of the postulated intermediates and of the occurrence of suggested elementary steps has been demonstrated in relation to model organometallic systems.
The bibliography includes 197 references.