Ordered mesoporous carbon supported uniform rhodium nanoparticles as catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas

• Mesoporous carbon supported specially size-controlled Rh nanoparticles catalysts was designed for syngas-to-alcohol (STA).
• Thus-obtained catalysts are much more active than the catalyst prepared using impregnation for STA.
• Rh NPs in OMC were uniformly sintered within the range of the optimum size for STA during reaction.
• The size-confined Rh NPs in OMC enhanced the CO insertion and reduced methane formation.

Structurally well-defined ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC)-supported uniform and specifically size-controlled Rh nanoparticle (NP) catalysts with low Rh content were prepared by three different methods (polyol, organometallic, and sonochemical) for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas. During the reaction, the size-confined Rh NPs in OMC were uniformly sintered, and the size of the aggregated Rh NPs was within the optimum metal size range for syngas-to-alcohol (STA) reaction. The catalytic reactions and TEM analyses clearly show that the uniform Rh NPs with a specific size in the OMC supports increase the STA catalytic performance by enhancing the CO insertion and reducing methane formation. Moreover, additional chain growth reactions for the synthesis of C3 and C4 alcohols could be produced by the use of uniform Rh nanoparticles on OMC supports.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide