The effect of different active phases of Fe/SiO₂ catalyst on the physio-chemical properties and the catalytic performance in CO₂ hydrogenation under mild conditions (at 220 °C under an ambient pressure) was comprehensively studied in this work. The Fe/SiO₂ catalyst was prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method. Hematite (Fe₂O₃) in the calcined Fe/SiO₂ catalyst was activated by hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen followed by carbon monoxide, to form a metallic iron (Fe/SiO₂-h), an iron carbide (Fe/SiO₂-c), and a combination of a metallic iron and an iron carbide (Fe/SiO₂-hc), respectively. All activated catalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, N₂ adsorption–desorption, H₂-TPR, CO-TPR, H₂-TPD, CO₂-TPD, CO-TPD, NH₃-TPD, and tested in a CO₂ hydrogenation reaction. The different phases of the Fe/SiO₂ catalyst are formed by different activation procedures and different reducing agents (H₂ and CO). Among three different activated catalysts, the Fe/SiO₂-c provides the highest CO₂ hydrogenation performance in terms of maximum CO₂ conversion, as well as the greatest selectivity toward long-chain hydrocarbon products, with the highest chain growth probability of 0.7. This is owing to a better CO₂ and CO adsorption ability and a greater acidity on the carbide form of the Fe/SiO₂-c surface, which are essential properties of catalysts for polymerization in FTs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.