Abstract
A broad range of hydrocarbons and oxygenated products can be synthesized catalytically from CO and H2. In this brief review it is discussed how catalyst composition governs the distribution of products formed. As the mechanisms are very important for the design of catalytic reaction, the mechanistic hypotheses developed since 1978 are presented here with reference to discussions of organometallic chemistry, particularly non-dissociation and dissociation of carbon monoxide on adsorption, dihydrogen activation, and bond formation of carbon-carbon, carbon-hydrogen and oxygn-hydrogen.
