Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalysts remain important in both academia and industry because of the worldwide trend of �clean� fuel consumption. In this study, we report 3D characterization of the oxidized and reduced Co phase (in a ?-alumina support) to understand the fundamental properties of the material as it would be during catalytic reaction. The characterization is performed using electron tomography in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). A tilt series is acquired when the catalyst is in its oxidized state to obtain a 3-D reconstruction, and the same particle is analyzed again after reduction.  Reduction is carried out in an ex-situ gas chamber for 15 minutes in high purity H2 gas at 400� C.  This type of quantitative nanoscale information in 3-D is important to develop understanding of catalyst changes during activation and use that information to aid in the design of improved catalysts.

3D characterization of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts before and after reduction

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.