Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Metal-support interfacial contact governs oxygenates selectivity over CeO₂ supported Pt-Co catalysts

The reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen to form hydrocarbons using either an iron or cobalt catalyst usually produces a broad range of products which consists of mainly paraffins and olefins with a carbon number of up to and greater than 100, and low levels of oxygenates including alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and acids. Iron catalysts usually produce more olefins and oxygenates compared to supported cobalt catalysts at elevated temperatures and pressures [1,2]. For Fischer-tropsch (FT) synthesis, cobalt has been reported to produce mainly n-alkanes over a wide range of molecular weights. The cobalt active phase is generally deposited over an oxide support (e.g., Al2O3, SiO2, or TiO2), which provides good mechanical strength (i.e., attrition resistance) and thermal stability under reaction conditions. Factors such as particle size and shape, metal loading and dispersion, nature of the support and strength of metal-support interactions have been widely studied over supported cobalt-based catalysts [3,4]. Many interesting studies have been devoted to ascertain the influence of oxide support on the FT activity, selectivity, and stability of cobalt catalysts.