Mars-van Krevelen-like Mechanism of CO Hydrogenation on an Iron Carbide Surface

Computational chemistry is used to explore a mechanism for CO hydrogenation to methane on iron carbides. As CO dissociation is endothermic on carbon terminated Fe5C2 (100) cuts, we explore a path starting with the hydrogenation of the surface, which liberates iron 4-fold sites for adsorption and dissociation of CO. The reaction cycle to methane resembles the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism for oxidation reactions.