Cobalt catalysts on carbon-based materials for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: a review

This review analyzes the literature from the 80’s to the beginning of 2020 and covers the use of carbon materials as supports for cobalt-based catalysts used in the Fischer Tropsch reaction. The article is composed of two sections. The first one details the reactivity of carbon supported cobalt catalysts with a particular focus on: i) reaction mechanisms and conditions, ii) effect of cobalt particle size, iii) confinement effects, iv) hydrogen spillover, and v) deactivation mechanisms. In the second part, the different methods of Co/C catalyst preparation are presented, and the influence of several parameters such as the type of supports and its functionalization, the metal loading or the catalyst activation on the catalytic performances is discussed. This work also provides some perspectives in the field.