Energy sustainability : Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over mesoporous material supported ruthenium

Abstract : Sustainable energy has remained a challenge across the world due to over-dependence on fossil fuels. This has resulted in energy crises in terms of the shortfall in supply, global price instability and continual adjustment of energy policies. The issues of environmental degradation and the quest for a long-term solution to the importation of fossils fuels necessitated the call for relentless engagement and development of sustainable alternative sources of energy that can also serve to bridge the unavoidable gap between demands and supply. Amongst the alternative and sustainable sources of energy generation is the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis, which could play a very important role, if not to a great extent, an improvement on the efficiency of fossil fuel reserve exploitation and utilisation. The process of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) produce liquid hydrocarbons generated from the synthesis gases (CO, H2), which rely on the potential of carbon monoxide to exchange hydrogen for oxygen when a catalyst is present. The FT process conversion reaction more often than not is heterogeneously catalysed by an active metal phase, dispersed on a support which might contribute to the catalytic activity, and is considered a surface-catalysed polymerization reaction. However, surface scientists have shown that in addition to the actual FT catalysis which generally takes place on the metal surfaces, the nature of the metal/oxide interfaces still plays a role in the reaction. Hence, the need for a suitable and stable support system with active surface sites for proper metal dispersion. This will be suitable for high FTS activity, achieved by the use of nano-sized particles and novel meso-structured materials. The arrival of novel meso-structured materials can facilitate the design of heterogeneous catalysts and promises to have the potential for FT synthesis, because of their tunable porous interconnected networks that have a large surface area (with a pore size of 2 - 50nm) and uniform pore size distribution. This is because of the metal-support interaction in smaller particles that is noticeably stronger compared to larger particles, which could lead to high FTS activity through the use of nano-sized particles, and periodic mesoporous supports...Ph.D. (Chemistry