Boreskov–horiuti–enomoto Rules for Reversible Heterogeneous Catalytic Reactions

Abstract

In the middle of the previous century, G. K. Boreskov, and J. Horiuti and S. Enomoto independently showed that for reversible reactions, running via a one-route mechanism with a ratelimiting step, there exist general relationships between the reaction rates in the forward and backward directions and also between the corresponding apparent activation energies and reaction heat. Their treatments are formally applicable to gas-and liquid-phase reactions and also to heterogeneous catalytic reactions (HCR) occurring in an ideal overlayer adsorbed on a uniform surface. In reality, HCR often run on heterogeneous surfaces, and the HCR kinetics are complicated by adsorbate-adsorbate lateral interactions. I explicitly demonstrate that in such situations the Boreskov-Horiuti-Enomoto rules are applicable as well.