Evaluation of Reoxidation Thresholds for γ-Al2O3-Supported Cobalt Catalysts under Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Conditions

Small Cobalt Nanoparticles Favor Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction Over Methanation Under CO2 Hydrogenation Conditions

Cobalt-based catalysts are well-known to convert syngas into a variety of Fischer-Tropsch (FTS) products depending on the various reaction parameters, in particular particle size. In contrast, the reactivity of these particles has been much less investigated in the context of CO2 hydrogenation. In that context, Surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) was employed to synthesize highly dispersed cobalt nanoparticles (Co-NPs) with particle sizes ranging from 1.6 to 3.0 nm. These SOMC-derived Co-NPs display significantly different catalytic performances under CO2 hydrogenation conditions: while the smallest cobalt nanoparticles (1.6 nm) catalyze mainly the reverse water-gas shift (rWGS) reaction, the larger nanoparticles (2.1-3.0 nm) favor the expected methanation activity. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that the smaller cobalt particles are fully oxidized under CO2 hydrogenation conditions, while the larger ones remain mostly metallic, paralleling the observed difference of catalytic performances. This fundamental shift of selectivity, away from methanation to reverse water-gas shift for the smaller nanoparticles is noteworthy and correlates with the formation of CoO under CO2 hydrogenation conditions.

Monometallic and Bimetallic Catalysts Supported on Praseodymium-Doped Ceria for the Water-Gas Shift Reaction

The water-gas shift (WGS) performance was investigated over 5%Ni/CeO2, 5%Ni/Ce0.95Pr0.05O1.975, and 1%Re4%Ni/Ce0.95Pr0.05O1.975 catalysts to decrease the CO amount and generate extra H2. CeO2 and Pr-doped CeO2 mixed oxides were synthesized using a combustion method. After that, Ni and Re were loaded onto the ceria support via an impregnation method. The structural and redox characteristics of monometallic Ni and bimetallic NiRe materials, which affect their water-gas shift performance, were investigated. The results show that the Pr addition into Ni/ceria increases the specific surface area, decreases the ceria crystallite size, and improves the dispersion of Ni on the CeO2 surface. Furthermore, Re addition results in the enhancement of the WGS performance of the Ni/Ce0.95Pr0.05O1.975 catalyst. Among the studied catalysts, the ReNi/Ce0.95Pr0.05O1.975 catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity, reaching 96% of CO conversion at 330°. It was established that the occurrence of more oxygen vacancies accelerates the redox process at the ceria surface. In addition, an increase in the Ni dispersion, Ni surface area, and surface acidity has a positive effect on hydrogen generation during the water-gas shift reaction due to favored CO adsorption.

Compositional Evolution of Individual CoNPs on Co/TiO2 during CO and Syngas Treatment Resolved through Soft XAS/X-PEEM

The nanoparticle (NP) redox state is an important parameter in the performance of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts. Here, the compositional evolution of individual CoNPs (6-24 nm) in terms of the oxide vs metallic state was investigated in situ during CO/syngas treatment using spatially resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS)/X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM). It was observed that in the presence of CO, smaller CoNPs (i.e., ≤12 nm in size) remained in the metallic state, whereas NPs ≥ 15 nm became partially oxidized, suggesting that the latter were more readily able to dissociate CO. In contrast, in the presence of syngas, the oxide content of NPs ≥ 15 nm reduced, while it increased in quantity in the smaller NPs; this reoxidation that occurs primarily at the surface proved to be temporary, reforming the reduced state during subsequent UHV annealing. O K-edge measurements revealed that a key parameter mitigating the redox behavior of the CoNPs were proximate oxygen vacancies (Ovac). These results demonstrate the differences in the reducibility and the reactivity of Co NP size on a Co/TiO2 catalyst and the effect Ovac have on these properties, therefore yielding a better understanding of the physicochemical properties of this popular choice of FTS catalysts.

Stabilizing Co2C with H2O and K promoter for CO2 hydrogenation to C2+ hydrocarbons

The decomposition of cobalt carbide (Co₂C) to metallic cobalt in CO₂ hydrogenation results in a notable drop in the selectivity of valued C₂₊ products, and the stabilization of Co₂C remains a grand challenge. Here, we report an in situ synthesized K-Co₂C catalyst, and the selectivity of C₂₊ hydrocarbons in CO₂ hydrogenation achieves 67.3% at 300°C, 3.0 MPa. Experimental and theoretical results elucidate that CoO transforms to Co₂C in the reaction, while the stabilization of Co₂C is dependent on the reaction atmosphere and the K promoter. During the carburization, the K promoter and H₂O jointly assist in the formation of surface C^* species via the carboxylate intermediate, while the adsorption of C^* on CoO is enhanced by the K promoter. The lifetime of the K-Co₂C is further prolonged from 35 hours to over 200 hours by co-feeding H₂O. This work provides a fundamental understanding toward the role of H₂O in Co₂C chemistry, as well as the potential of extending its application in other reactions.

Thermodynamic assessment of the stability of bulk and nanoparticulate cobalt and nickel during dry and steam reforming of methane

The high reaction temperatures during steam and dry reforming of methane inevitably entail catalyst deactivation. Evaluation of the feasibility or potentially relevant mechanisms at play is of utmost importance to develop highly active and stable catalysts. Herein, various oxidation reactions of bulk-sized nickel and cobalt to the corresponding metal oxide or in the presence of a metal oxide carrier are evaluated thermodynamically and linked to approximated conditions during methane reforming. In particular cobalt aluminate, as well as cobalt or nickel titanates are likely to form. As oxidation to bulk-sized metal oxide is unlikely, a thermodynamic analysis of metallic nanoparticles was performed to calculate the size dependent stability against oxidation to nickel oxide or cobalt oxide in water and carbon dioxide-rich environments. The calculations indicate that nickel nanoparticles >3 nm and cobalt nanoparticles >10 nm are expected to withstand oxidation during steam and dry reforming of methane with stoichiometric feed compositions and methane conversion levels >10% at temperatures up to 1100 and 900 °C, respectively. Lastly, the reduced thermal stability of nanoparticles due to melting point suppression was assessed, leading to similar recommendations concerning minimum particle sizes.

Toward development of single-atom ceramic catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

Insertion of transition metal species into crystalline alumina at low temperatures is proposed to achieve the dispersion of these species at atomic level paired with exceptional textural properties. Precisely, MeAl₂O₄/γ-Al₂O₃ (Me = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and/or Cu) nanostructured ceramic catalysts were fabricated with ultra large mesopores (16-30 nm), and high specific surface area (180-290 m² g^-1) and pore volume (1.1-1.6 cm³ g^-1). These ceramics were applied as efficient catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃, and their selectivity was discussed in terms of N₂O formation, an undesirable byproduct. The catalysts containing Fe, Cu, or Mn showed the highest activities, however, within different temperature ranges. Further tuning of the catalytic activity and selectivity was achieved by creating ceramic catalysts with mixed compositions, e.g., CuFe and MnFe. Upon insertion of the transition metal species into crystalline structure of alumina to maximize atom efficiency, the N₂O formation profile did not change significantly for all metal aluminates except MnAl₂O₄, indicating that these catalysts are suitable for SCR and selectively promote the reduction of NO.

Direct observation of the evolving metal-support interaction of individual cobalt nanoparticles at the titania and silica interface

Understanding the metal–support interaction (MSI) is crucial to comprehend how the catalyst support affects performance and whether this interaction can be exploited in order to design new catalysts with enhanced properties. Spatially resolved soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in combination with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Helium Ion-Milling Microscopy (SHIM) has been applied to visualise and characterise the behaviour of individual cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) supported on two-dimensional substrates (SiO_xSi(100) (x < 2) and rutile TiO₂(110)) after undergoing reduction–oxidation–reduction (ROR). The behaviour of the Co species is observed to be strongly dependent on the type of support. For SiO_xSi a weaker MSI between Co and the support allows a complete reduction of CoNPs although they migrate and agglomerate. In contrast, a stronger MSI of CoNPs on TiO₂ leads to only a partial reduction under H₂ at 773 K (as observed from Co L₃-edge XAS data) due to enhanced TiO₂ binding of surface-exposed cobalt. SHIM data revealed that the interaction of the CoNPs is so strong on TiO₂, that they are seen to spread at and below the surface and even to migrate up to ∼40 nm away. These results allow us to better understand deactivation phenomena and additionally demonstrate a new understanding concerning the nature of the MSI for Co/TiO₂ and suggest that there is scope for careful control of the post-synthetic thermal treatment for the tuning of this interaction and ultimately the catalytic performance.

Understanding the metal–support interaction (MSI) is crucial to comprehend how the catalyst support affects performance and whether this interaction can be exploited in order to design new catalysts with enhanced properties.

One-pot synthesis of cobalt-rhenium nanoparticles taking the unusual β-Mn type structure

Using a facile one-pot colloidal method, it is now possible to obtain monodisperse Co_1-x Re _x nanoparticles (NPs), with excellent control of Re stoichiometry for x < 0.15. Re-incorporation in terms of a solid solution stabilizes the β-Mn polymorph relative to the hcp/ccp variants of cobalt. The NPs are thermally stable up to 300 °C, which may make them attractive as model catalysts.

Advances in membranes and membrane reactors for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process for biofuel production

The biomass-to-liquid (BtL) process is a promising technology to obtain clean, liquid, second-generation biofuels and chemicals. The BtL process, which comprises several steps, is based upon the gasification of biomass and the catalytic transformation of the syngas that is obtained via the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction, producing a hydrocarbon pool known as syncrude. The FTS process is a well-established technology, and there are currently very large FTS plants operating worldwide that produce liquid fuels and hydrocarbons from natural gas (NG) (gas-to-liquids, GtL process) and coal (coal-to-liquids, CtL process). Due to the limited availability of local biomass, the size of the BtL plants should be downscaled compared to that of a GtL or CtL plant. Since the feasibility of the XtL (X refers to any energy source that can be converted to liquid, including coal, NG, biomass, municipal solid waste, etc.) processes is strongly influenced by the economies of scale, the viability of small-scale BtL plants can be compromised. An interesting approach to overcome this issue is to increase the productivity of the FTS process by developing reactors and catalysts with higher productivities to generate the desired product fraction. Recently, by integrating membrane reactors with the FTS process the gas feeding and separation unit have been demonstrated in a single reactor. In this review, the most significant achievements in the field of catalytic membrane reactors for the FTS process will be discussed. Different types of membranes and configurations of membrane reactors, including H2O separation and H2-feed distribution, among others, will be analyzed.

Bridging the gap between industry and synchrotron: an operando study at 30 bar over 300 h during Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

Long-term operando spectroscopic study of a Fischer–Tropsch catalyst at a synchrotron radiation facility under realistic conditions with full product analysis.

Well-Defined Materials for Heterogeneous Catalysis: From Nanoparticles to Isolated Single-Atom Sites

The use of well-defined materials in heterogeneous catalysis will open up numerous new opportunities for the development of advanced catalysts to address the global challenges in energy and the environment. This review surveys the roles of nanoparticles and isolated single atom sites in catalytic reactions. In the second section, the effects of size, shape, and metal-support interactions are discussed for nanostructured catalysts. Case studies are summarized to illustrate the dynamics of structure evolution of well-defined nanoparticles under certain reaction conditions. In the third section, we review the syntheses and catalytic applications of isolated single atomic sites anchored on different types of supports. In the final part, we conclude by highlighting the challenges and opportunities of well-defined materials for catalyst development and gaining a fundamental understanding of their active sites.

Synthesis, characterisation and water-gas shift activity of nano-particulate mixed-metal (Al, Ti) cobalt oxides

The formation of mixed-metal cobalt oxides, representing potential metal-support compounds for cobalt-based catalysts, has been observed at high conversion levels in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over metal oxide-supported cobalt catalysts. An often observed increase in the carbon dioxide selectivity at Fischer-Tropsch conversion levels above 80% has been suggested to be associated to the formation of water-gas shift active oxidic cobalt species. Mixed-metal cobalt oxides, namely cobalt aluminate and cobalt titanate, were therefore synthesised and tested for potential catalytic activity in the water-gas shift reaction. We present a preparation route for amorphous mixed-metal oxides via thermal treatment of metal precursors in benzyl alcohol. Calcination of the as prepared nanoparticles results in highly crystalline phases. The nano-particulate mixed-metal cobalt oxides were thoroughly analysed by means of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. This complementary characterisation of the synthesised materials allows for a distinct identification of the phases and their properties. The cobalt aluminate prepared has a cobalt-rich composition (Co1+xAl2-xO4) with a homogeneous atomic distribution throughout the nano-particulate structures, while the perovskite-type cobalt titanate (CoTiO3) features cobalt-lean smaller particles associated with larger ones with an increased concentration of cobalt. The cobalt aluminate prepared showed no water-gas shift activity in the medium-shift temperature range, while the cobalt titanate sample catalysed the conversion of water and carbon monoxide to hydrogen and carbon dioxide after an extended activation period. However, this perovskite underwent vast restructuring forming metallic cobalt, a known catalyst for the water-gas shift reaction at temperatures exceeding typical conditions for the cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and anatase-TiO2. The partial reduction of the mixed-metal oxide and segregation was identified by means of post-run characterisation using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive spectrometry.

Preparation of isolated Co3O4 and fcc-Co crystallites in the nanometre range employing exfoliated graphite as novel support material

The inert nature of graphitic samples allows for characterisation of rather isolated supported nanoparticles in model catalysts, as long as sufficiently large inter-particle distances are obtained. However, the low surface area of graphite and the little interaction with nanoparticles result in a challenging application of conventional preparation routes in practice. In the present study, a set of graphitic carbon materials was characterised in order to identify potential support materials for the preparation of model catalyst systems. Various sizes of well-defined Co3O4 nanoparticles were synthesised separately and supported onto exfoliated graphite powder, that is graphite after solvent-assisted exfoliation via ultrasonication resulting in thinner flakes with increased specific surface area. The stability of the supported nanoparticles during reduction to metallic cobalt in H2 was monitored in situ by means of X-ray diffraction and smaller crystallite sizes were found to be harder to reduce than their larger counterparts. A low cobalt loading of 1 wt% was required to avoid aggregates in the parent catalyst, and this allowed for the preparation of supported cobalt nanoparticles which were resistant to sintering at reduction temperatures below 370 °C. The developed model catalysts are ideally suited for sintering studies of isolated nano-sized cobalt particles as the graphitic support material does not provide distinct metal-support interaction. Furthermore, the differently sized cobaltous particles in the various model systems render possible studies on structural dependencies of activity, selectivity, and deactivation in cobalt oxide or cobalt catalysed reactions.

Impact of Nanoparticle-Support Interactions in Co3O4/Al2O3 Catalysts for the Preferential Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide

Different supporting procedures were followed to alter the nanoparticle–support interactions (NPSI) in two Co₃O₄/Al₂O₃ catalysts, prepared using the reverse micelle technique. The catalysts were tested in the dry preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO-PrOx) while their phase stability was monitored using four complementary in situ techniques, viz., magnet-based characterization, PXRD, and combined XAS/DRIFTS, as well as quasi in situ XPS, respectively. The catalyst with weak NPSI achieved higher CO₂ yields and selectivities at temperatures below 225 °C compared to the sample with strong NPSI. However, relatively high degrees of reduction of Co₃O₄ to metallic Co were reached between 250 and 350 °C for the same catalyst. The presence of metallic Co led to the undesired formation of CH₄, reaching a yield of over 90% above 300 °C. The catalyst with strong NPSI formed very low amounts of metallic Co (less than 1%) and CH₄ (yield of up to 20%) even at 350 °C. When the temperature was decreased from 350 to 50 °C under the reaction gas, both catalysts were slightly reoxidized and gradually regained their CO oxidation activity, while the formation of CH₄ diminished. The present study shows a strong relationship between catalyst performance (i.e., activity and selectivity) and phase stability, both of which are affected by the strength of the NPSI. When using a metal oxide as the active CO-PrOx catalyst, it is important for it to have significant reduction resistance to avoid the formation of undesired products, e.g., CH₄. However, the metal oxide should also be reducible (especially on the surface) to allow for a complete conversion of CO to CO₂ via the Mars–van Krevelen mechanism.

Preparation of Cobalt Nanocrystals Supported on Metal Oxides To Study Particle Growth in Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

Colloidal synthesis of nanocrystals (NC) followed by their attachment to a support and activation is a promising route to prepare model catalysts for research on structure-performance relationships. Here, we investigated the suitability of this method to prepare well-defined Co/TiO2 and Co/SiO2 catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis with high control over the cobalt particle size. To this end, Co-NC of 3, 6, 9, and 12 nm with narrow size distributions were synthesized and attached uniformly on either TiO2 or SiO2 supports with comparable morphology and Co loadings of 2-10 wt %. After activation in H2, the FT activity of the TiO2-supported 6 and 12 nm Co-NC was similar to that of a Co/TiO2 catalyst prepared by impregnation, showing that full activation was achieved and relevant catalysts had been obtained; however, 3 nm Co-NC on TiO2 were less active than anticipated. Analysis after FT revealed that all Co-NC on TiO2 as well as 3 nm Co-NC on SiO2 had grown to ∼13 nm, while the sizes of the 6 and 9 nm Co-NC on SiO2 had remained stable. It was found that the 3 nm Co-NC on TiO2 already grew to 10 nm during activation in H2. Furthermore, substantial amounts of Co (up to 60%) migrated from the Co-NC to the support during activation on TiO2 against only 15% on SiO2. We showed that the stronger interaction between cobalt and TiO2 leads to enhanced catalyst restructuring as compared to SiO2. These findings demonstrate the potential of the NC-based method to produce relevant model catalysts to investigate phenomena that could not be studied using conventionally synthesized catalysts.

Green synthesis of mesoporous γ-Al2O3 from coal fly ash with simultaneous on-site utilization of CO2

Mesoporous Al₂O₃ with crystalline framework walls has expanded all over the world due to the various potential applications especially in catalysis. Here, we develop a green and facile approach for the conversion of coal fly ash (CFA) into ordered mesoporous γ-Al₂O₃. The practical and promising lime-sinter method was comprehensively studied for the extraction of aluminum from CFA as a first step. The extraction efficiency of aluminum could reach up to 87.42%, through calcining with CaCO₃ at 1390°C for 1 h and then dissolving in Na₂CO₃ solution at 70°C for 0.5 h. Combined with the urgent demand for CO₂ emission reduction, simulated purified flue gas was introduced to precipitate the Al(OH)₃ precursors without structure-directing agents for just 1 h, followed by calcining at only 400°C or 550°C. A series of characterizations were conducted to discuss the effect of precipitation temperature and calcination temperature, resulting the superior product (Al₂O₃-65/550) with high surface area (230.3 m² g^-1), crystalline γ-Al₂O₃ phase and ordered mesostructure. This proposed strategy, integrating the on-site recycling of CFA and utilization of CO₂, appears to be promising for scalable production of mesoporous γ-Al₂O₃.

Catalysis of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction by 4-10 nm Cobalt Nanoparticles

Electrolysis of water is key technology, not only for clean energy production, but to ensure a continued supply of hydrogen beyond fossil resources, essential to the manufacture of many chemical goods other than fuels. Cobalt nanomaterials have been widely identified as a promising candidate for the anode (oxygen evolution) reaction in this process, but much work has focused on applied materials or electrode design. Given the importance of oxidation state changes Co(III) → Co(IV) in the accepted reaction mechanism, in this work we look at size effects in small (4–10 nm) cobalt nanoparticles, where the ease of oxidation for lower cobalt oxidation states is known to change with particle size. To discriminate between geometric and chemical effects we have compared the catalysts in this study to others in the literature by turnover frequency (widely used in other areas of catalysis), in addition to the more commonly employed performance metric of the overpotential required to produce a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Comparisons are drawn to key examples of using well defined nanomaterials (where the surface are of cobalt sites can be estimated). This has enabled an estimated intrinsic turnover rate of ~ 1 O₂ molecule per surface Co atom per second at an overpotential of 500 mV in the oxygen evolution reaction under typical alkaline reaction conditions (pH 14.0) to be identified.

Structural Insights from 59 Co Solid-State NMR Experiments on Organocobalt(I) Catalysts

A series of fumarate-based organocobalt(I) [CoCp(CO)(fumarate)] catalysts is synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, multinuclear (¹³ C and ⁵⁹ Co) solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and ⁵⁹ Co NQR spectroscopy. Given the dearth of ⁵⁹ Co solid-state NMR studies on Co^I compounds, the present work constitutes the first systematic characterization of the ⁵⁹ Co electric field gradient and chemical shift tensors for a series of cobalt complexes in this oxidation state. Using X-ray crystallography, the molecular geometry about the Co^I centre is found to be nearly identical in all compounds studied herein. Owing to the ⁵⁹ Co nucleus' large chemical shift range, solid-state NMR experiments are found to be able to detect small structural differences between the individual organocobalt(I) compounds. With the aid of density functional theory calculations on these complexes, it is shown that the ⁵⁹ Co chemical shift anisotropy and the ⁵⁹ Co quadrupolar coupling constant are both extremely sensitive gauges of the Fu-Co-Cp bond angle, providing a link between these ⁵⁹ Co NMR observables and the catalysts' structures.

Alumina-Supported CoFe Alloy Catalysts Derived from Layered-Double-Hydroxide Nanosheets for Efficient Photothermal CO2 Hydrogenation to Hydrocarbons

A series of novel CoFe-based catalysts are successfully fabricated by hydrogen reduction of CoFeAl layered-double-hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets at 300-700 °C. The chemical composition and morphology of the reaction products (denoted herein as CoFe-x) are highly dependent on the reduction temperature (x). CO₂ hydrogenation experiments are conducted on the CoFe-x catalysts under UV-vis excitation. With increasing LDH-nanosheet reduction temperature, the CoFe-x catalysts show a progressive selectivity shift from CO to CH₄ , and eventually to high-value hydrocarbons (C₂₊ ). CoFe-650 shows remarkable selectivity toward hydrocarbons (60% CH₄ , 35% C₂₊ ). X-ray absorption fine structure, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that alumina-supported CoFe-alloy nanoparticles are responsible for the high selectivity of CoFe-650 for C₂₊ hydrocarbons, also allowing exploitation of photothermal effects. This study demonstrates a vibrant new catalyst platform for harnessing clean, abundant solar-energy to produce valuable chemicals and fuels from CO₂ .