(566f) Three Decades of Fischer-Tropsch Studies: Old Questions - New Answers?

The question of how Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts change during reaction has occupied many colleagues in catalysis. Nick Delgass was among the pioneers to investigate the conversion of iron catalysts during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy [1]. Our group followed a year later [2] and these publications were the reason we met, which marked the start of a long time collaboration. Nowadays, the spectrum of opportunities to study changes in catalysts in reactions has widened substantially. The purpose of this talk is to review how model catalysts consisting of uniform nanosized particles on planar supports in combination with spectroscopy at synchrotrons and electron microscopy have given important insight in e.g. the deactivation and regeneration of iron and cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts [3,4,5]. In spite of significant progress, several of the “old” questions remain…

[1] Mössbauer investigation of supported Fe and FeNi Catalysts, G.B. Raupp and W.N. Delgass, J. Catal. 58 (1979) 337; 348; 361.

[2] Behavior of metallic iron catalysts during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis studied with Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, carbon content determination and reaction kinetic measurements, J.W. Niemantsverdriet, A.M. van der Kraan, W.L. van Dijk, and H.S. van der Baan, J. Phys. Chem. 84 (1980) 3363.

[3] Studying Fischer-Tropsch catalysts using transmission electron microscopy and model systems of nanoparticles on planar supports, P.C. Thüne, C.J. Weststrate, P. Moodley, A.M. Saib, J. van de Loosdrecht, J.T. Miller, and J.W. Niemantsverdriet, Catal. Sci. Tech. 1 (2011) 689.

[4] The effect of water on the stability of iron oxide and iron carbide nanoparticles in hydrogen and syngas followed by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, P.C. Thüne, P. Moodley, F.S. Scheijen, H. Fredriksson, R. Lancee, J. Kropf, J.T. Miller, and J.W. Niemantsverdriet, J. Phys. Chem. C 116 (2012) 7367.

[5] Fundamental understanding of deactivation and regeneration of cobalt Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts, A.M. Saib, D.J. Moodley, I.M. Ciobica, M.M. Hauman, B.H. Sigwebela, C.J. Weststrate,  J.W. Niemantsverdriet, and J. van de Loosdrecht, Catal. Today 154 (2010) 271.