Carbon/H-ZSM-5 composites as supports for bifunctional Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

Mesoporous H-ZSM-5-carbon composites, prepared via tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) post treatment of H-ZSM-5 followed by deposition of pyrolytic carbon, have been used as the support for the preparation of Co-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts. The resulting catalysts display an improved performance during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), with higher activity, higher selectivity towards C5-C9 (gasoline range) hydrocarbons and lower selectivity towards C1 (and C2) than Co/mesoH-ZSM5 (without pyrolytic carbon). This is due to the weaker metal-support interaction caused by the deposited carbon (as revealed by XPS) leading to a higher reducibility of the Co species. Further, the partial deactivation of the Bronsted acid sites by pyrolytic carbon deposition, as was observed by NH3-TPD, allows the modification of the zeolite acidity. Both the olefin to paraffin (O/P) and the isoparaffin to normal paraffin (I/N) ratios decrease with the increase in the carbon content, opening the door to further tune the catalytic performance in multifunctional FTS operations.