MOF-Derived Porous Carbon-Supported Bimetallic Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Catalysts

Generally, incorporating different metals in a catalyst can provide a synergistic effect for enhancing the catalytic performance. However, the interaction between the two metals and the effect on the catalytic performance seem elusive. In this work, a bimetallic metal–organic framework (MOF) is synthesized, and then, a novel bimetallic catalyst is prepared for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The combination of these different metals and a MOF-derived porous carbon supporter offers a unique active surface structure that may lead to improved catalytic performance. Herein, alloy-type structures were observed in FeCo and FeNi bimetallic MOF-derived catalysts, while a solid solution with a spinel structure were observed in FeMn and FeZn bimetallic MOF-derived catalysts. The bimetallic catalysts supported on MOF-derived porous carbon display stable and excellent catalytic performance during 100 h compared with a single-metal Fe catalyst. X-ray diffraction measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and H2 temperature-programed reduction were employed to study the synergistic effect of bimetallic components on surface composition and electronic and reduction properties accordingly. The relationship between catalytic performance and catalyst composition was deeply studied. These research work results will provide a new approach to design novel bimetallic FT catalysts.