A hydrophobic FeMn@Si catalyst increases olefins from syngas by suppressing C1 by-products

Abstract

Although considerable efforts have been made in the selective conversion of syngas [carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen] to olefins through Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), ~50% of the converted CO is transformed into the undesired one-carbon molecule (C1) by-products [carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)]. In this study, a core-shell FeMn@Si catalyst with excellent hydrophobicity was designed to hinder the formation of CO2 and CH4. The hydrophobic shell protected the iron carbide core from oxidation by water generated during FTS and shortened the retention of water on the catalyst surface, restraining the side reactions related to water. Furthermore, the electron transfer from manganese to iron atoms boosted olefin production and inhibited CH4 formation. The multifunctional catalyst could suppress the total selectivity of CO2 and CH4 to less than 22.5% with an olefin yield of up to 36.6% at a CO conversion of 56.1%.

Tuning the efficiency and product composition for electrocatalytic CO2reduction to syngas over zinc films by morphology and wettability

“…Syngas (CO and H 2 mixture) is a well-known industrial feedstock for producing value-added chemicals and fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. [1][2][3] With different CO/H 2 ratios, syngas can be used to synthesize various downstream products, such as aldehyde (CO/H 2 ratio of 1 : 1), 4 methanol (CO/ H 2 ratio of 2 : 1), 5 and methane (CO/H 2 ratio of 3 : 1). 6 However, most syngas is industrially synthesized by natural gas reforming and coal gasification, which also require harsh reaction conditions, such as high pressure and high temperature.…”

Selective synthesis of the core–shell structured catalyst χ-Fe5C2 surrounded by nanosized Fe3O4 for the conversion of syngas to liquid fuels

“…6,13,14 A few strategies have been applied to address the high CO 2 selectivity of Fe-based catalysts through the inhibition of the primary or secondary formation of CO 2 . 13,[15][16][17][18][19] For example, phase-pure ε(′)-Fe 2 C catalyst was selectively synthesized and was demonstrated to be free from the primary formation of CO 2 . 13 The hydrophobic surface of a methyl-modified FeMn@Si catalyst efficiently suppressed the re-adsorption of H 2 O, thus inhibiting the secondary formation of CO 2 .…”

Tunable CO Dissociation Assisted by H2 over Cobalt Species: A Mechanistic Study by In‐situ DRIFTS

“…Given the ongoing depletion of petroleum resources, seeking suitable catalytic reaction routes is a very important issue or even urgent for the sustainable development. Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is disclosed as a promising approach to produce highly valuable chemicals from syngas (a mixture of CO and H 2 ), which can be derived from a series of feedstocks, such as natural gas, coal, or biomass [1–6] . For the FTS process, cobalt‐, ruthenium‐, and iron‐based catalysts have been extensively investigated in recent decades [3,7–11] .…”