Abstract
Interaction of Fe
3
(CO)
12
and Fe(CO)
5
with the surface of alumina and magnesia results in the formation of the anionic hydrido cluster carbonyl [HFe
3
(CO)
11
]
-
M
+
, M
+
= Al(O-)
X
+
or Mg(O-)
y
+
, which indicates the basic character of the hydroxy-group of alumina and magnesia towards Fe(CO)
5
and Fe
3
(CO)
12
; the easy formation of [HFe
3
(CO)
11
]
-
M
+
may also account for the same selectivities for formation of low molecular weight olefins observed in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis whether starting from Fe(CO)
5
or from Fe
3
(CO)
12
adsorbed on alumina or magnesia.