Surface Science Studies on Cobalt Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis has received considerable recent attention from academic and industrial researchers. Cobalt catalysts exhibit excellent activity/selectivity for FT; however its relative cost is high. Therefore the design of enhanced Co catalysts is economically attractive. To achieve this goal, the fundamental processes occurring on the surface of cobalt catalysts need to be better understood. Surface science studies, with the aid of model catalysts, can provide such crucial information. Numerous review articles concerning the de-tails of technical FT catalysts are available, however very few of these specifically address cobalt model catalysts. In this review, we briefly summarize the literature regarding FT synthesis on various cobalt model catalysts, ranging from well-defined single crystals to nanoparticles dispersed on planar oxide supports. Fundamental issues such as structure sensitivity, surface restructuring, olefin readsorption, promoter effects, particle size effects, and the oxidation of nanoparticles are addressed.