Ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy for CO photo-hydrogenation to liquid fuels at ambient pressures
Jiaqi Zhao1,2, Jinjia Liu3,4, Zhenhua Li5
1Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
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 C5+ liquid fuels. Herein, we report a ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy (Ru1Co-SAA) catalyst derived from a layered-double-hydroxide nanosheet precursor. Under UV-Vis irradiation (1.80 W cm-2), Ru1Co-SAA heats to 200 °C and photo-hydrogenates CO to C5+ 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 CHx* intermediates, resulting in a CO photo-hydrogenation turnover frequency of 0.114 s-1 with 75.8% C5+ 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 C5+ liquid fuels. The findings open new vistas towards C5+ liquid fuels under sunlight at mild pressures.
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