The dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over unpromoted and potassium-promoted model iron oxide catalysts has been studied using ultrahigh vacuum techniques in conjunction with elevated pressure reaction kinetics. Model iron oxide catalysts were prepared by oxidizing a polycrystalline Fe sample that was subsequently dosed with metallic potassium. At 875 K the unpromoted catalyst exhibited a turnover frequency of 5 x 10(-4) molecules/site s and an activation energy of 39 kcal/mol, both in excellent agreement with the results found for an analogous iron oxide powder catalyst. Potassium promotion increased the turnover frequency to 1.0 x 10(-3) molecules/site s and lowered the activation energy to 36 kcal/mol for the dehydrogenation reaction. Similarities between the activation energies on the unpromoted and promoted catalysts indicate that the active site is the same on both catalysts. Creation of the active site was dependent upon the formation of an Fe3+ metastable species, consistent with the formation of a KFeO2 phase, upon the addition of potassium.