Theory nof chemisorption and heterogeneous catalysis

The insight into the properties of chemisorbed atoms and molecules gained from the effective medium theory is reviewed. For atomic cheisorption, the full potential energy surface has been calculated in a number of cases and the properties of the interaction potential can be related to the parameters describing the atom and surface in question. For molecular chemisorption and surface reactions, the effective medium theory can be used to make comparisons between binding energies and activation energies. The trends in chemical reactivities for a number of catalytic reactions along the transition metal series and the role of surface modifiers (poinsons, promoters, etc.) has been studied in this way.