Synthesis of SWNTs over nanoporous Co-Mo/MgO and using as a catalyst support for selective hydrogenation of syngas to hydrocarbon

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with high surface area were synthesized over nanoporous Co-Mo/MgO by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The SWNTs were used as catalyst support for selective hydrogenation of syngas to hydrocarbons. Here an extensive study of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) on CNT-supported cobalt catalysts with different amounts of cobalt loading up to 40 wt% is reported. The catalysts were characterized by different methods including N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, hydrogen chemisorption, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and temperature-programmed reduction. Enhancement of the reducibility of Co3O4 to CoO, CoO to Coo and small cobalt oxide particles, dispersion of the cobalt, and activity and selectivity of FTS were investigated and compared with a conventional support. The CNT supported catalysts achieve a high dispersion and high loading of the active metal, cobalt in particular, so that the bulk formation of cobalt metal, which tends to occur in conventional support, can be avoided. The results showed that the specific activity of CNT supported catalysts increase significantly (there is a two fold increase in CO Conversion per gram of the active metal) with respect to the conventional supported catalyst.