Synthesis gas conversion over MoP catalysts

Synthesis gas conversion at 548 K, 8.3 MPa and a H2/CO = 1 over a 10 wt% MoP on SiO2 catalyst yielded mostly hydrocarbons with 35% selectivity to methane. K addition to the MoP–SiO2 shifted selectivity to oxygenates. With 5 wt% K–MoP–SiO2 the major products were acetaldehyde (14.3%), acetone (13.5%) and ethanol (17.2%), with <0.3% methanol. The oxygenated product space-time-yield was 89 g kg cat−1 h−1 and the methane selectivity was 9%. The low methanol and methane selectivities reported herein are unique among the Mo-based synthesis gas conversion catalysts.