ε-Iron carbide as a low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis catalyst

Ke Xu, Bo Sun, Jun Lin, Wen Wen, Yan Pei, Shirun Yan, Minghua Qiao (), Xiaoxin Zhang and Baoning Zong ()
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Ke Xu: Fudan University
Bo Sun: Fudan University
Jun Lin: Key Laboratory of Nuclear Analysis Techniques, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wen Wen: Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yan Pei: Fudan University
Shirun Yan: Fudan University
Minghua Qiao: Fudan University
Xiaoxin Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Catalytic Materials and Chemical Engineering, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing
Baoning Zong: State Key Laboratory of Catalytic Materials and Chemical Engineering, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract ε-Iron carbide has been predicted to be promising for low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (LTFTS) targeting liquid fuel production. However, directional carbidation of metallic iron to ε-iron carbide is challenging due to kinetic hindrance. Here we show how rapidly quenched skeletal iron featuring nanocrystalline dimensions, low coordination number and an expanded lattice may solve this problem. We find that the carbidation of rapidly quenched skeletal iron occurs readily in situ during LTFTS at 423–473 K, giving an ε-iron carbide-dominant catalyst that exhibits superior activity to literature iron and cobalt catalysts, and comparable to more expensive noble ruthenium catalyst, coupled with high selectivity to liquid fuels and robustness without the aid of electronic or structural promoters. This finding may permit the development of an advanced energy-efficient and clean fuel-oriented FTS process on the basis of a cost-effective iron catalyst.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6783

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