Synthesis of Higher Hydrocarbons from CO2 Hydrogenation

CO2 is the major cause of the global warming phenomenon due to its highly infrared absorbance and relative stability. It is a currently a great challenge to convert CO2 to chemicals, gasoline and diesel, which can not only alleviate environmental problems caused by CO2, but also help to maintain a carbon neutral cycle. Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a widely used method for hydrogenation of CO to various liquid hydrocarbons. Iron and cobalt based catalysts typically used in FT reaction were also applied to the CO2 hydrogenation process. However, the yield of C2+ is low. Currently, there are increasing interests in producing liquid hydrocarbons from CO2 directly over different type of catalysts. In this study,new species of modified FT type catalysts and composite catalysts are developed. The effects of preparative conditions of the catalyst structure, and the activity and selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation are investigated. Catalyst structure is characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and FTIR spectroscopy.