A one-dimensional model which had been proposed in order to explain the behaviour of catalytic reactions on metal surfaces involving cooperative processes was generalized to 2 dimensions. It was shown by Monte Carlo simulation that the model was capable of providing an explanation of: why strong chemisorbative sites were also highly active sites for catalytic reactions, why bond-breaking preferably occurred over a narrow temperature range and why this range was lower for rougher surfaces.

The Role of Surface Reconstruction in Catalytic Activity. F.Nieto, A.P.Velasco, J.L.Riccardo, G.Zgrablich: Surface Science, 1994, 315[1-2], 185-94