Characterization, activity and selectivity of ethylenediamine modified Co/SiO₂ FT catalyst prepared by sol-gel method

Abstract

Co/SiO₂ catalysts were prepared by sol-gel method with varied en (ethylenediamine)/Co molar ratios under the same pH. Their physical-chemical properties were compared with those prepared with similar en/Co molar ratios at natural pH or without adding ethylenediamine. Regardless of pH, the catalysts prepared using ethylenediamine possessed high microporosity, which led to a better selectivity to C_5–18 hydrocarbons, versus the catalyst possessing higher mesoporosity which showed slightly higher C₁₈₊ selectivity. As enough positions in the coordination sphere were blocked by ethanediamine ligands, the formation of cobalt silicate disfavored for (en/Co=2) catalysts, which resulted in the higher activity in FT reaction. Whereas the catalysts prepared with lower or higher en/Co molar ratio both showed lower activity due to the formation of [(SiO)Co(en)(EtOH)₃] species or the electronic adsorption of cobalt complexes in the negatively charged silica surface, respectively. However, for the catalyst without using ethylenediamine, the lowest activity and the highest CH₄ selectivity obtained due to its much lower reducibility.