What is microkinetic modeling in catalysis?

Microkinetic modeling describes reaction kinetics by elementary steps rather than overall reactions. It includes: adsorption/desorption steps, surface reactions between adsorbed species, and diffusion steps. Each step has rate parameters from theory (DFT calculations) or experiments. Benefits: mechanistic insight, extrapolation to new conditions, rational catalyst design, and identifies rate-limiting step. Challenges: many parameters needed, computational complexity, and validation difficulty. Used in catalyst development and process optimization, particularly for complex reactions like Fischer-Tropsch.