Fabrication of Flower‐Like and Spherical‐Like Hematite Structure for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

Abstract The flower‐like α‐Fe 2 O 3 structure was fabricated through Fe foam substrate‐induced hydrothermal approach. Meanwhile, a spherical‐like α‐Fe 2 O 3 structure was achieved by Fe foam substrate‐free hydrothermal method. The phase composition, crystallite size, textural properties, surface morphology, structure, and reduction behavior of these two samples were explored intensively by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), N 2 ‐adsorption–desorption, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and H 2 ‐temperature programmed reduction (H 2 ‐TPR) characterizations. The flower‐like α‐Fe 2 O 3 structure with lower apparent activation energy showed preferable Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) activity, restrained methane selectivity, and more light hydrocarbons compared with spherical‐like structure due to the particular nanostructure with optimal Fe 3 O 4 phase, high reducibility, good oxidation resistance, and efficient mass transfer kinetics.