Evidence for [formula omitted] isotope effects on fischer-tropsch synthesis over supported ruthenium catalysts

Abstract

The effects of using D 2 rather than H 2 during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were investigated using alumina- and silica-supported Ru catalysts. For the alumina-supported catalysts, the rate of CD 4 formation was 1.4 to 1.6 times faster than the formation of CH 4. A noticeable isotope effect was also observed for higher molecular weight products. The magnitude of the isotope effects observed using the silica-supported catalyst was much smaller than that found using the alumina-supported catalysts. The formation of olefins relative to paraffins was found to be higher when H 2 rather than D 2 was used, independent of the catalyst support. The observed isotope effects are explained in terms of a mechanism for CO hydrogenation and are shown to arise from a complex combination of the kinetic and equilibrium isotope effects associated with elementary processes occurring on the catalyst surface.