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Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts

The Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) synthesis involves the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide with the aim to produce long-chained hydrocarbons. Commercial cobalt-based catalysts incorporate oxidic supports that are known to negatively affect the reducibility and hinder formation of t...

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Main Author: Nabaho, Doreen
Other Authors: Van Steen, Eric
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Centre for Catalysis Research 2015
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access_status_str Open Access
author Nabaho, Doreen
author2 Van Steen, Eric
author_browse Nabaho, Doreen
Van Steen, Eric
author_facet Van Steen, Eric
Nabaho, Doreen
author_sort Nabaho, Doreen
collection Thesis
description The Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) synthesis involves the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide with the aim to produce long-chained hydrocarbons. Commercial cobalt-based catalysts incorporate oxidic supports that are known to negatively affect the reducibility and hinder formation of the active phase. Consequently, reduction promoters such as Pt are introduced to facilitate the reduction of cobalt during catalyst pretreatment. However, synergistic and adverse effects of the promoter have been reported under reaction conditions including a higher site-time yield and higher selectivity towards hydrogenated products. The perspective on the operation of the Pt promoter is polarised between 'Hydrogen spillover', which is a so-called remote-control effect that could otherwise occur in the absence of Pt-Co contact, and 'ligand/electronic effects' that require direct Pt-Co coordination. The objective of this study was to explicate the operation of Pt and Au as promoters of the Co/Al2O3 catalyst by decoupling hydrogen spillover from effects that require direct promotercobalt coordination. The analysis was subdivided into the reduction process and the Fischer- Tropsch reaction, which are the two arenas in which the actions of these promoters have been claimed. The employment of model 'hybrid' catalysts, which are mechanical mixtures of the monometallic constituents of the promoted catalyst, presents a novel way to investigate the role of spillover hydrogen in the Pt-Co and Au-Co catalyst systems. Thus far, no systematic investigation of the hydrogen spillover phenomenon using these catalyst systems during both reduction and under commercially relevant LTFT conditions has been encountered in the published literature. Furthermore, this study serves to contribute to the limited body of literature on the role of Au as a potential promoter for the commercial cobalt-based catalyst.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
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license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2015
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publisher Centre for Catalysis Research
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/15714 Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts Nabaho, Doreen Van Steen, Eric Claeys, Michael Catalysis Research The Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) synthesis involves the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide with the aim to produce long-chained hydrocarbons. Commercial cobalt-based catalysts incorporate oxidic supports that are known to negatively affect the reducibility and hinder formation of the active phase. Consequently, reduction promoters such as Pt are introduced to facilitate the reduction of cobalt during catalyst pretreatment. However, synergistic and adverse effects of the promoter have been reported under reaction conditions including a higher site-time yield and higher selectivity towards hydrogenated products. The perspective on the operation of the Pt promoter is polarised between 'Hydrogen spillover', which is a so-called remote-control effect that could otherwise occur in the absence of Pt-Co contact, and 'ligand/electronic effects' that require direct Pt-Co coordination. The objective of this study was to explicate the operation of Pt and Au as promoters of the Co/Al2O3 catalyst by decoupling hydrogen spillover from effects that require direct promotercobalt coordination. The analysis was subdivided into the reduction process and the Fischer- Tropsch reaction, which are the two arenas in which the actions of these promoters have been claimed. The employment of model 'hybrid' catalysts, which are mechanical mixtures of the monometallic constituents of the promoted catalyst, presents a novel way to investigate the role of spillover hydrogen in the Pt-Co and Au-Co catalyst systems. Thus far, no systematic investigation of the hydrogen spillover phenomenon using these catalyst systems during both reduction and under commercially relevant LTFT conditions has been encountered in the published literature. Furthermore, this study serves to contribute to the limited body of literature on the role of Au as a potential promoter for the commercial cobalt-based catalyst. 2015-12-08T11:51:49Z 2015-12-08T11:51:49Z 2015 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15714 eng application/pdf Centre for Catalysis Research Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Catalysis Research
Nabaho, Doreen
Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
title_full Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
title_fullStr Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
title_full_unstemmed Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
title_short Hydrogen spillover in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt-based catalysts
title_sort hydrogen spillover in the fischer tropsch synthesis the role of platinum and gold as promoters in cobalt based catalysts
topic Catalysis Research
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15714
work_keys_str_mv AT nabahodoreen hydrogenspilloverinthefischertropschsynthesistheroleofplatinumandgoldaspromotersincobaltbasedcatalysts