Bridging scales - uniting minds: catalytic innovation from microreactor discovery to industrial reality
_rdax_1240x697.png "The Journal of Physical Chemistry C")
Power‑to‑liquid (PtL) technologies are central to scaling sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and reducing dependence on fossil‑based feedstocks. In our recent study, we benchmark two commercially relevant Fischer–Tropsch catalysts—20 wt.% Co on Al₂O₃ and TiO₂–SiO₂ supports—under industrial conditions. The TiO₂–SiO₂–supported catalyst delivers about 10% higher activity, higher C₅⁺ selectivity, and reduced methane formation. Using complementary in‑situ and operando hard and soft X‑ray absorption, X‑ray diffraction, and magnetometry characterization methods combined with DFT modeling, we show that catalyst performance is governed by metal–support interactions, pore structure, and cobalt particle size. Stronger Co–titania interactions lead to larger and more stable Co particles without building an inactive composite, in contrast to alumina. These insights provide actionable guidance for designing more efficient and durable FT catalysts for large‑scale PtL and SAF deployment.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c05172