Study of the Mechanisms of Heterogeneous-catalytic Reactions by the Method of Labelled Molecules (labelled with 14C)

The present review differentiates between the method of labelled atoms (the LA method) and the method of labelled molecules (the LM method). Unlike the LA method, in which an experimental study is made of the distribution of the isotopic tracer over various positions in the molecules of the starting materials and reaction products, the LM method involves the study of the distribution of the isotopic tracer between the molecules of different substances. The basic equations of the LM method for integral and differential reactors are given, and literature on the application of the LM method with the ¹⁴C isotope to study the mechanisms of heterogeneous-catalytic reactions is reviewed. The bibliography contains 163 references.