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Updated: Dec 27, 2025
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Nanostructured NiMoS₂/Carbon Catalysts for Syngas Conversion to Higher Alcohols
Waqas Aslam1, Qing Ma1, Fengqui Tang2
1Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Abstract:
Syngas conversion to higher alcohols remains a very attractive alternative due to the abundance of syngas feedstock, such as renewable carbon and waste-carbon resources. Catalysts suitable for syngas conversion still show low selectivity to alcohols. In this article, we present nanostructured NiMoS₂ and CoMoS₂ catalysts supported on activated carbon pellets and design strategies to improve its selectivity towards higher alcohols. Activated carbon pellets were treated with concentrated HNO₃ to enlarge porous channels and enable better dispersion of NiMoS₂ and CoMoS₂. These treatment steps lead to a formation of nanostructured NiMoS₂ and CoMoS₂ catalysts and promoted higher selectivity to ethanol, propanol and butanol. BET surface area of 532 m² g-1 was obtained for NiMoS₂/Carbon catalysts from the nitrogen physisorption analysis. In catalytic tests, the highest CO conversion (39.1%) was achieved by the NiMoS₂/Carbon, whereas the CoMoS₂/Carbon showed the highest alcohol selectivity (74.4%). CoMoS₂ catalysts supported on activated carbon pellets proved to be highly active towards undesired by-product "filamentous carbon."
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