TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Support: The support comprises spherical voids having diameter of 0.1-10 microns (preferably 2 microns). The support has particulate or monolith structure, and comprises acid- or alkali-labile material. The support is a silica-containing material.Preferred Process: The support comprising treatment-labile material is dissolved with an alkali or acid, to release spherical metal and/or metal oxide particles. The particles are then isolated, and a catalytically active substance is applied to them. The active substance has activity for catalyzing Fischer-Tropsch hydrogenation reactions.Preferred Catalyst: The particulate catalyst comprises particles in which 10% of the particles are spherical. EXAMPLE - Metals and promoters were supported on a silica support (powder or 3D or monolith structure) having desired pore/shell size and concentration to achieve desired spherical size. Silica gel was impregnated via the incipient wetness technique with a solution of cobalt nitrate, to which perrhenic acid and boron oxide were added, to obtain a silica supported catalyst containing 20 weight% (wt.%) of cobalt, 0.5 wt.% of rhenium and 1 wt.% of boron, with silica as the remainder. The metal salts were calcined at 400 degreesC to form the corresponding oxides, after which the catalyst was treated to dissolve the silica support using 20% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution at 85 degreesC. The resulting suspension was filtered through 0.45 micron Teflon (RTM) filter and washed 3 times with deionized water. The post-calcination alkali treatment yielded a fine powder. The weight loss after the treatment indicated complete dissolution of the silica content of the original supported catalyst to yield particles comprising 93% cobalt, 2.3% rhenium and 4.7% boron.    The particles were used as catalyst for hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to saturated hydrocarbons by a Fischer-Tropsch process. The catalyst sample was loaded into the pressure vessel whose pressure was raised with an atmosphere of synthesis gas. The vessel was then heated to reaction temperature and the decrease in vessel pressure (indicative of Fisher-Tropsch reaction) was monitored. After a specific time period, gas chromatography analysis of the vessel headspace and the produced liquids was performed. The carbon monoxide conversion was found to be 63%. This indicated that the cobalt-rhenium-boron spherical particles had higher catalytic performance compared to the same weight of cobalt-rhenium-boron supported on untreated silica gel.