Selectively forming light olefins via macroporous iron-based Fischer-Tropsch catalysts

A highly dispersed macroporous iron-based catalyst (Fe/S80-E) was developed by the modification of a macroporous silica (80 nm) surface with ethylene glycol before the impregnation of iron precursors. Due to higher diffusion efficiency and highly dispersed iron particles, this kind of catalyst presents superb catalytic performance in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with high selectivity of light olefins (46.2 c-mol%) as well as high activity (CO conv. 63.4 %) without any promoters. The obtained catalysts were characterized by N-2 physisorption, mercury intrusion porosimetry, XRD, TEM, XPS, TPR and in situ DRIFT.