Ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy for CO photo-hydrogenation to liquid fuels at ambient pressures.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37019942.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-37631-5 and PMC identifier 10076290.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Photothermal Fischer-Tropsch synthesis represents a promising strategy for converting carbon monoxide into value-added chemicals. High pressures (2-5 MPa) are typically required for efficient C-C coupling reactions and the production of C<sub>5+</sub> liquid fuels. Herein, we report a ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy (Ru<sub>1</sub>Co-SAA) catalyst derived from a layered-double-hydroxide nanosheet precursor. Under UV-Vis irradiation (1.80 W cm<sup>-2</sup>), Ru<sub>1</sub>Co-SAA heats to 200 °C and photo-hydrogenates CO to C<sub>5+</sub> liquid fuels at ambient pressures (0.1-0.5 MPa). Single atom Ru sites dramatically enhance the dissociative adsorption of CO, whilst promoting C-C coupling reactions and suppressing over-hydrogenation of CH<sub>x</sub>* intermediates, resulting in a CO photo-hydrogenation turnover frequency of 0.114 s<sup>-1</sup> with 75.8% C<sub>5+</sub> selectivity. Owing to the local Ru-Co coordination, highly unsaturated intermediates are generated during C-C coupling reactions, thereby improving the probability of carbon chain growth into C<sub>5+</sub> liquid fuels. The findings open new vistas towards C<sub>5+</sub> liquid fuels under sunlight at mild pressures.