The catalyzed decomposition of ethylene has been used as a probe reaction to ascertain the advantages of exclusive heating of a supported metal catalyst by a current stimulated technique. This approach has been found to result in the elimination of certain side reactions generally encountered in conventional catalytic reactor systems associated with thermal decomposition of gas phase molecules. We have found that by restricting the heated zone to the catalyst surface the ubiquitous formation of pyrolytic carbon arising from thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons can be effectively mitigated. In addition, major differences in the selectivity patterns were observed from the localized heating system compared to that found when the same catalyst was reacted in a conventional flow system. The difference in behavior of the catalyst under these diverse conditions is rationalized according to the notion that the flow of an electric current through the support not only served to resistively heat the sample, but also induced electronic perturbations in the metal surface atoms. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.