Ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy for CO photo-hydrogenation to liquid fuels at ambient pressures
Jiaqi Zhao, Jinjia Liu, Zhenhua Li, Kaiwen Wang, Run Shi, Pu Wang, Qing Wang, Geoffrey I. N. Waterhouse, Xiaodong Wen, Tierui Zhang
Abstract
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 5+ liquid fuels. Herein, we report a ruthenium-cobalt single atom alloy (Ru 1 Co-SAA) catalyst derived from a layered-double-hydroxide nanosheet precursor. Under UV-Vis irradiation (1.80 W cm −2 ), Ru 1 Co-SAA heats to 200 °C and photo-hydrogenates CO to C 5+ 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 x * intermediates, resulting in a CO photo-hydrogenation turnover frequency of 0.114 s −1 with 75.8% C 5+ 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 5+ liquid fuels. The findings open new vistas towards C 5+ liquid fuels under sunlight at mild pressures.