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Abstract

The catalytic properties of intermetallic compounds in heterogeneously catalyzed reactions open a vast but relatively young field in catalysis. Intermetallic compounds offer a diverse range of different crystal and electronic structures, often coming along with a combination of ionic and covalent two- and multicenter bonding, which can increase their stability under reaction conditions against hydride formation, decomposition, and segregation. Being used as precursors for skeletal catalysts in the past, they also can be formed under reaction conditions by reactive metal–support interactions or be applied in an unsupported or supported state to enable a rapid development of innovative catalytic systems by gaining deep understanding of the ongoing processes. Here, the different approaches in the field are summarized, not aiming at a full literature review of the more than 1600 publications addressing the catalytic properties of intermetallic compounds.