Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by reduced graphene oxide nanosheets supported cobalt catalysts: role of support and metal nanoparticle size on catalyst activity and products selectivity

Abstract

In this paper, a series of cobalt catalysts supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets with the loading of 5, 15 and 30 wt-% were provided by the impregnation method. The activity of the prepared catalysts is evaluated in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The prepared catalysts were carefully characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, hydrogen chemisorption, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy techniques to confirm that cobalt particles were greatly dispersed on the rGO nanosheets. The results showed that with increasing the cobalt loading on the rGO support, the carbon defects are increased and as a consequence, the reduction of cobalt is decreased. The FTS activity results showed that the cobalt-time yield and turnover frequency passed from a maximum for catalyst with the Co⁰ average particle size of 15 nm due to the synergetic effect of cobalt reducibility and particle size. The products selectivity results indicated that the methane selectivity decreases, whereas the C₅⁺ selectivity raises with the increasing of the cobalt particle size, which can be explained by chain propagation in the primary chain growth reactions.

Key words： cobalt catalyst; cobalt particle size; Fischer-Tropsch synthesis; reduced graphene oxide; supported catalyst

Acknowledgment

The authors of this work appreciate the financial support of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (Grant No. 3/45803-29/9/96).

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