hcp-Co Nanowires Grown on Metallic Foams as Catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is a structure-sensitive exothermic reaction that enables catalytic transformation of syngas to high quality liquid fuels. Now, monolithic cobalt-based heterogeneous catalysts were elaborated through a wet chemistry approach that allows control over nanocrystal shape and crystallographic phase, while at the same time enables heat management. Copper and nickel foams have been employed as supports for the epitaxial growth of hcp-Co nanowires directly from a solution containing a coordination compound of cobalt and stabilizing ligands. The Co/Cu-foam catalyst was tested for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a fixed-bed reactor, showing stability and significantly superior activity and selectivity towards C5+ compared to a Co/SiO2-Al2O3 reference catalyst under the same conditions.