Effect of elemental molar ratio on the synthesis of higher alcohols over Co-promoted alkali-modified MoC catalysts supported on CNTs

A series of molybdenum carbide catalysts promoted by potassium and cobalt,supported on carbon nanotubes(CNTs) were prepared by carbothermal hydrogen reduction method using CNTs as a carbon precursor.Firstly,molybdenum and cobalt were loaded by co-precipitation method,and then potassium and additional molybdenum were impregnated to previous resultant.Different Mo/Co and K/Co molar ratio were used in catalyst synthesis.All the catalysts were characterized by ICP,BET,TEM,TPR,XRD and XPS,and the catalysts performances for higher alcohols synthesis(HAS) were investigated in a fixed-bed micro-reactor.The maximum selectivity to higher alcohols(C2+OH) was obtained at Mo/Co and K/Mo molar ratios of 1.66 and 0.6,respectively.XRD results confirmed the formation of K-Mo-C site and Co3Mo3 C phase that might play important role in producing C2+OH.