Fischer catalyst precursors, hydrocarbons

Continuing interest in cobalt catalysts used in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has led to the proposal of new methods of catalyst preparation that could determine the selectivity of the catalysts obtained. In this context, a highly selective material to produce C5+ hydrocarbons using a plasma-based method and carbonyl precursors has been prepared [147]. 

If alcohols are the precursors of the hydrocarbons in the synthesis, it is probable that a reaction analogous to the 0X0 synthesis occurs on the surface of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. Such a reaction would account for the relatively small fraction of branched hydrocarbons and for the fact that the branches are almost entirely single methyl groups. 

Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis converts natural gas-, coal- and biomass-derived syngas into liquid hydrocarbon fuels which are totally free of sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds and have very low aromatic contents [1]. FT synthesis proceeds on cobalt metal sites, the overall niunber of cobalt metal sites on supported catalysts depends on both cobalt dispersion and reducibility. Decomposition of cobalt precursor is an important step in the catalyst preparation, which could significantly influence both cobalt dispersion and cobalt phase composition [2,3]. 

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