Carbon Number Dependence of Reaction Mechanism and Kinetics in CO Hydrogenation on a Co-Based Catalyst

The Effect of CO Partial Pressure on Important Kinetic Parameters of Methanation Reaction on Co-Based FTS Catalyst Studied by SSITKA-MS and Operando DRIFTS-MS Techniques

A 20 wt% Co-0.05 wt% Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was investigated to obtain a fundamental understanding of the effect of CO partial pressure (constant H2 partial pressure) on important kinetic parameters of the methanation reaction (x vol% CO/25 vol% H2, x = 3, 5 and 7) by performing advanced transient isotopic and operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy–mass spectrometry (DRIFTS-MS) experiments. Steady State Isotopic Transient Kinetic Analysis (SSITKA) experiments conducted at 1.2 bar, 230 °C after 5 h in CO/H2 revealed that the surface coverages, θCO and θCHx and the mean residence times, τCO, and τCHx (s) of the reversibly adsorbed CO-s and active CHx-s (Cα) intermediates leading to CH4, respectively, increased with increasing CO partial pressure. On the contrary, the apparent activity (keff, s−1) of CHx-s intermediates, turnover frequency (TOF, s−1) of methanation reaction, and the CH4-selectivity (SCH4, %) were found to decrease. Transient isothermal hydrogenation (TIH) following the SSITKA step-gas switch provided important information regarding the reactivity and concentration of active (Cα) and inactive -CxHy (Cβ) carbonaceous species formed after 5 h in the CO/H2 reaction. The latter Cβ species were readily hydrogenated at 230 °C in 50%H2/Ar. The surface coverage of Cβ was found to vary only slightly with increasing CO partial pressure. Temperature-programmed hydrogenation (TPH) following SSITKA and TIH revealed that other types of inactive carbonaceous species (Cγ) were formed during Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) and hydrogenated at elevated temperatures (250–550 °C). The amount of Cγ was found to significantly increase with increasing CO partial pressure. All carbonaceous species hydrogenated during TIH and TPH revealed large differences in their kinetics of hydrogenation with respect to the CO partial pressure in the CO/H2 reaction mixture. Operando DRIFTS-MS transient isothermal hydrogenation of adsorbed CO-s formed after 2 h in 5 vol% CO/25 vol% H2/Ar at 200 °C coupled with kinetic modeling (H-assisted CO hydrogenation) provided information regarding the relative reactivity (keff) for CH4 formation of the two kinds of linear-type adsorbed CO-s on the cobalt surface.

Promotional effect of in situ generated hydroxyl on olefin selectivity of Co-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

The understanding of the water effect on olefin selectivity in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is limited by the complexity of the reaction network. Herein, we employ propene hydrogenation as a model reaction to isolate the water effect on olefin adsorption and hydrogenation from the complex reaction of FTS. It is clearly observed that the added water inhibits the activity of propene hydrogenation on two cobalt catalysts supported on high-surface-area alumina (HAS Al₂O₃) and low-surface-area alumina (LSA Al₂O₃), respectively. The inhibiting effect is much stronger for Co/HSA Al₂O₃. DFT investigation demonstrates that the in situ generated OH, rather than H₂O and O, impedes the adsorption of propene and thus decreases the activity of propene hydrogenation. The suppressive effect of OH on propene adsorption is attributed to the downshift of the d-band center and the Bader charge of the catalyst surface. The DFT-based kinetic analysis finds that the higher site coverage of OH results in the more pronounced negative effect on propene hydrogenation. Furthermore, the theory of OH-induced weak olefin adsorption and low olefin hydrogenation activity could rationalize the enhancement effect of water on the olefin selectivity and the particle size dependence of the water effect in FTS. The insights obtained here may inspire researchers to optimize olefin selectivity by manipulating the electronic properties of catalysts with hydroxyl species.

Investigation of C1 + C1 Coupling Reactions in Cobalt-Catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis by a Combined DFT and Kinetic Isotope Study

Understanding the chain growth mechanism is of vital importance for the development of catalysts with enhanced selectivity towards long-chain products in cobalt-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Herein, we discriminate various C1 + C1 coupling reactions by theoretical calculations and kinetic isotope experiments. CHx(x=0−3), CO, HCO, COH, and HCOH are considered as the chain growth monomer respectively, and 24 possible coupling reactions are first investigated by theoretical calculations. Eight possible C1 + C1 coupling reactions are suggested to be energetically favorable because of the relative low reaction barriers. Moreover, five pathways are excluded where the C1 monomers show low thermodynamic stability. Effective chain propagation rates are calculated by deconvoluting from reaction rates of products, and an inverse kinetic isotope effect of the C1 + C1 coupling reaction is observed. The theoretical kinetic isotope effect of CO + CH2 is inverse, which is consistent with the experimental observation. Thus, the CO + CH2 pathway, owing to the relatively lower barrier, the high thermodynamic stability, and the inverse kinetic isotope effect, is suggested to be a favorable pathway.

Insight into the structure and morphology of Run clusters on Co(111) and Co(311) surfaces

The adsorption configurations, growth modes and morphology of a Ru promoter under the approximate conditions of cobalt catalyzed Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Mechanism of Cobalt-Catalyzed CO Hydrogenation: 1. Methanation

The mechanism of CO hydrogenation to CH₄ at 260 °C on a cobalt catalyst is investigated using steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA) and backward and forward chemical transient kinetic analysis (CTKA). The dependence of CH_x residence time is determined by ¹²CO/H₂ → ¹³CO/H₂ SSITKA as a function of the CO and H₂ partial pressure and shows that the CH₄ formation rate is mainly controlled by CH_x hydrogenation rather than CO dissociation. Backward CO/H₂ → H₂ CTKA emphasizes the importance of H coverage on the slow CH_x hydrogenation step. The H coverage strongly depends on the CO coverage, which is directly related to CO partial pressure. Combining SSITKA and backward CTKA allows determining that the amount of additional CH₄ obtained during CTKA is nearly equal to the amount of CO adsorbed to the cobalt surface. Thus, under the given conditions overall barrier for CO hydrogenation to CH₄ under methanation condition is lower than the CO adsorption energy. Forward CTKA measurements reveal that O hydrogenation to H₂O is also a relatively slow step compared to CO dissociation. The combined transient kinetic data are used to fit an explicit microkinetic model for the methanation reaction. The mechanism involving direct CO dissociation represents the data better than a mechanism in which H-assisted CO dissociation is assumed. Microkinetics simulations based on the fitted parameters confirms that under methanation conditions the overall CO consumption rate is mainly controlled by C hydrogenation and to a smaller degree by O hydrogenation and CO dissociation. These simulations are also used to explore the influence of CO and H₂ partial pressure on possible rate-controlling steps.

Mechanism of Cobalt-Catalyzed CO Hydrogenation: 2. Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis is one of the most complex catalyzed chemical reactions in which the chain-growth mechanism that leads to formation of long-chain hydrocarbons is not well understood yet. The present work provides deeper insight into the relation between the kinetics of the FT reaction on a silica-supported cobalt catalyst and the composition of the surface adsorbed layer. Cofeeding experiments of ¹²C₃H₆ with ¹³CO/H₂ evidence that CH_x surface intermediates are involved in chain growth and that chain growth is highly reversible. We present a model-based approach of steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis measurements at FT conditions involving hydrocarbon products containing up to five carbon atoms. Our data show that the rates of chain growth and chain decoupling are much higher than the rates of monomer formation and chain termination. An important corollary of the microkinetic model is that the fraction of free sites, which is mainly determined by CO pressure, has opposing effects on CO consumption rate and chain-growth probability. Lower CO pressure and more free sites leads to increased CO consumption rate but decreased chain-growth probability because of an increasing ratio of chain decoupling over chain growth. The preferred FT condition involves high CO pressure in which chain-growth probability is increased at the expense of the CO consumption rate.

Apparatus for efficient utilization of isotopically-labeled gases in pulse transient studies of heterogeneously catalyzed gas phase reactions

Transient techniques, such as steady state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA), are powerful methods for determining various mechanistic and kinetic insights into heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase reactions.