Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2026, Vol. 84: 236-249.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(26)65007-3

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Linking catalyst synthesis strategies to CO2-modified Fischer-Tropsch performance in iron-carbon systems

Shican Jianga, Mingyu Yia, Zuozheng Liua, Abhishek Dutta Chowdhurya,b()   

  1. a College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Hubei, China
    b Interdisciplinary Institute of NMR and Molecular Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, Hubei, China
  • Received:2025-07-29 Accepted:2025-11-19 Online:2026-05-18 Published:2026-04-16
  • Contact: *E-mail: abhishek@whu.edu.cn, abhishek@wust.edu.cn (A. Chowdhury).
  • About author:First author contact:

    Shican Jiang: Writing - original draft, Visualization, Validation, Resources, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation. Mingyu Yi: Catalyst evaluation, Data analysis. Zuozheng Liu: Catalyst evaluation, Data analysis. Abhishek Dutta Chowdhury: Conceptualization, Data analysis, Project administration, Supervision, Funding acquisition. Writing - review & editing.

  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(22572150);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22350610243);Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(2025AFA008);start-up research grant from Wuhan University of Science and Technology(China)

Abstract:

The direct thermocatalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into value-added hydrocarbons is vital for advancing a sustainable carbon economy. However, the structural complexity and multi-step nature of catalyst synthesis often obscure the direct relationship between synthesis protocol and catalytic performance. To address this gap, we present an operationally simpler, safer to start up, and scalable strategy to develop carbon-coated iron-based catalysts (Fe@C and Fe@NC) through ball milling or impregnation of commercial iron salts with simple organic ligands (trimesic acid or salicylic acid), followed by pyrolysis. These catalysts feature tunable porosity, particle size, and surface composition, enabling systematic performance optimization in CO2-modified Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (CO2-FTS). Ball milling proved more effective for Fe@C systems, while impregnation was superior for Fe@NC systems, both achieving high selectivity for long-chain (C5+) hydrocarbons and suppressing undesired C1 byproducts. Ball milling promotes active site dispersion and carburization via porous frameworks, whereas impregnation facilitates cavity formation favorable for catalysis. Coupling these iron-based catalysts with ZSM-5 zeolites enabled aromatics production with enhanced stability. Correlations between synthesis route, catalyst architecture, and performance (activity, selectivity, structural control) were established. This work offers a practical synthesis-performance framework for designing CO2-FTS catalysts, supporting future developments in carbon valorization and e-fuel production.

Key words: Heterogeneous catalysis, CO2 hydrogenation, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, Hydrocarbons, Iron-carbide