3599.     WARNER, B. R., DERRIG, M. J., AND MONTGOMERY, C. W.  Catalytic Synthesis of Hydrocarbons and Oxygenated Compounds From Ketene and Its Relation to the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.  Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 68, 1946, pp. 1615-1617; Chem. Abs., vol. 40, 1946, p. 7149.

        The fact that CH₂ and CO can combine to form ketene (CH₂CO) indicates the possibility that ketene may form and may be intermediate in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.  Experiments determined that CH₂CO in the presence of H₂ reacts on a Co-ThO₂-kieselguhr catalyst at 200° to yield hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds, which are similar to the products of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.  A reasonable assumption to explain the experimental results involves preliminary catalytic decomposition of CH₂CO→CH₂+CO followed by polymerization of CH₂, or by reactions involving higher ketenes and formation of oxygenated compounds.  A reaction mechanism for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis might be postulated as follows:  (a) CH₂CO→CH₂+CO; (b) CH₂+CH₂CO→CH₃CH=C=O; (c) CH₃CH=C=O→CH₂=CH₂+ CO; (d) CH₂+CH₃CH=C=O→CH₃CH₂CH=C=O→CH₃CH=CH₂+CO.