An In Situ Method for Alteration of Catalytic Activity by Generation of a Reactant on the Surface of the Catalyst

In many researches dealing with catalysis there are properties of the catalyst that are attributed to the effect of hydrogen on the surface of the catalyst. The interpretations of the effect of hydrogen on the catalyst surface range from statements which indicate that surface hydrogen is necessary for the reactions to proceed to statements that surface hydrogen is a poison on the reaction. A clearly interpreted picture of the role of hydrogen at the present time is not available.