Catalytic transformations of syngas (a mixture of H2 and CO), which is one of the most important C1-chemistry platforms, and CO2, a greenhouse gas released from human industrial activities but also a candidate of abundant carbon feedstock, into chemicals and fuels have attracted much attention in recent years. Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a classic route of syngas chemistry, but the product selectivity of FT synthesis is limited by the Anderson-Schulz-Flory (ASF) distribution. The hydrogenation of CO2 into C2+ hydrocarbons involving C-C bond formation encounters similar selectivity limitation. The present article focuses on recent advances in breaking the selectivity limitation by using a reaction coupling strategy for hydrogenation of both CO and CO2 into C2+ hydrocarbons, which include key building-block chemicals, such as lower (C2-C4) olefins and aromatics, and liquid fuels, such as gasoline (C5-C11 hydrocarbons), jet fuel (C8-C16 hydrocarbons) and diesel fuel (C10-C20 hydrocarbons). The design and development of novel bifunctional or multifunctional catalysts, which are composed of metal, metal carbide or metal oxide nanoparticles and zeolites, for hydrogenation of CO and CO2 to C2+ hydrocarbons beyond FT synthesis will be reviewed. The key factors in controlling catalytic performances, such as the catalyst component, the acidity and mesoporosity of the zeolite and the proximity between the metal/metal carbide/metal oxide and zeolite, will be analysed to provide insights for designing efficient bifunctional or multifunctional catalysts. The reaction mechanism, in particular the activation of CO and CO2, the reaction pathway and the reaction intermediate, will be discussed to provide a deep understanding of the chemistry of the new C1 chemistry routes beyond FT synthesis.

New horizon in C1 chemistry: breaking the selectivity limitation in transformation of syngas and hydrogenation of CO2 into hydrocarbon chemicals and fuels

To tune the product selectivity by controlling the complicated reaction path is a big challenge in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis Here, we report an integrated catalytic process for the direct conversion of syngas (CO/H2) into different types of liquid fuels without subsequent hydrorefining post-treatments of Fischer–Tropsch waxes Outstanding selectivities for gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel as high as 74, 72 and 58% are achieved, respectively, by only using mesoporous Y-type zeolites in combination with cobalt nanoparticles The types of liquid fuels can be readily tuned by controlling the porosity and acid properties of the zeolites We further build a new product-distribution model for the bifunctional catalysts, which do not obey the traditional Anderson–Schulz–Flory (ASF) distribution The present work offers a simple and effective method for the direct synthesis of different types of liquid fuels

Integrated tuneable synthesis of liquid fuels via Fischer–Tropsch technology

Combustion characteristics and emissions of Fischer–Tropsch diesel fuels in IC engines

Simulation, integration, and economic analysis of gas-to-liquid processes

Hybrid and single feedstock energy processes for liquid transportation fuels: A critical review

An analysis of physical and chemical properties of Fischer−Tropsch fuel gas-to-liquids (GTL) blends with a conventional diesel was conducted. Then, engine performance, combustion, and emission investigations were performed to better understand the differences in regulated emissions between diesel, GTL, and their blends using a six-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection compression ignition (DICI) engine at different load-speed conditions and pump timings. Most of the properties of blended fuels have a good linear relation with the GTL volume fraction in the blends. Density, sulfur, polyaromatics, and total aromatics of blends decrease, while the cetane number and lower heating value increase as the GTL fraction increases. Both the maximum combustion pressure and peak value of heat release rate for neat GTL are slightly lower, and the locations of the two peaks are slightly retarded versus those of the diesel. GTL blends, especially neat GTL, show improvements in fuel economy and thermal efficiency. GTL bl...

Physical and Chemical Properties of GTL−Diesel Fuel Blends and Their Effects on Performance and Emissions of a Multicylinder DI Compression Ignition Engine

A large number of published papers reveal that gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel has the potential for reducing the particulate matter (PM), CO, and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions to a certain degree, and NOx emissions can also be reduced by optimizing the engine parameters or at a larger exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate. To reduce the PM and NOx emissions simultaneously on a larger scale, an experiment was conducted of GTL combustion and emissions on a single-cylinder diesel engine with the port fuel injection (PFI) of methanol. The results revealed that, because of the lower cetane number and larger latent evaporation heat value of methanol, the ignition timing delayed clearly, the maximum in-cylinder gas pressure decreased, and the maximum heat release rate increased with the PFI of methanol. At a lower to medium overall equivalence ratio, the maximum in-cylinder gas temperature decreased linearly with the increase of the premixed ratio of methanol. At a large overall equivalence ratio, the maximum gas temperat...

Tao Wu

Papers

Physical and Chemical Properties of GTL−Diesel Fuel Blends and Their Effects on Performance and Emissions of a Multicylinder DI Compression Ignition Engine

Effect of Port Fuel Injection of Methanol on the Combustion Characteristics and Emissions of Gas-to-Liquid-Fueled Engines