Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Science. 2012 Feb 17;335(6070):835-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1215614.
Lower olefins are key building blocks for the manufacture of plastics, cosmetics, and drugs. Traditionally, olefins with two to four carbons are produced by steam cracking of crude oil-derived naphtha, but there is a pressing need for alternative feedstocks and processes in view of supply limitations and of environmental issues. Although the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has long offered a means to convert coal, biomass, and natural gas into hydrocarbon derivatives through the intermediacy of synthesis gas (a mixture of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide), selectivity toward lower olefins tends to be low. We report on the conversion of synthesis gas to C(2) through C(4) olefins with selectivity up to 60 weight percent, using catalysts that constitute iron nanoparticles (promoted by sulfur plus sodium) homogeneously dispersed on weakly interactive α-alumina or carbon nanofiber supports.
低碳烯烃是制造塑料、化妆品和药品的关键构建块。传统上，含 2 至 4 个碳原子的烯烃是通过对石脑油进行蒸汽裂解来生产的，但是鉴于供应限制和环境问题，迫切需要替代原料和工艺。虽然费托合成法长期以来一直提供了一种将煤、生物质和天然气通过合成气（氢气和一氧化碳的混合物）转化为碳氢衍生物的方法，但对于低碳烯烃的选择性往往较低。我们报告了使用由硫和钠共同促进的铁纳米粒子（均匀分散在弱相互作用的α-氧化铝或碳纳米纤维载体上）催化剂，将合成气转化为 C(2)至 C(4)烯烃，选择性高达 60 重量%。
