Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Relations between structure of cobalt catalysts and their catalytic performance

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been experiencing a strong revival in recent years, due to the resource utilization considerations and environmental concerns. Cobalt supported catalysts represent the optimal choice for the synthesis of long-chained hydrocarbons from syngas with high H₂/CO ratio. This paper reviews the state of the art related to the influence of cobalt particle size and cobalt phase composition, catalyst support and support texture, and promotion with noble metals on Fischer-Tropsch reaction rates, hydrocarbon selectivity and catalyst stability. Possible mechanisms of catalyst deactivation and modification of cobalt active sites during the reaction are also discussed. Several requirements to the design of cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts have been specified.