Catalytic Hydrogasification of a Carbon Material with Dodecacarbonyltriiron(0) and Iron(iii) Nitrate: Effects on Surface Area, Pore Structure, and Hydrogen Adsorption

Abstract The catalysis of adsorbed dodecacarbonyltriiron(0) was used to develop the pore structure of a carbon through its partial gasification with hydrogen. The catalytic gasification at 500 °C increased the volumes of pores, in particular those of 3–5 nm in diameter. In contrast, such an effect was not observed when iron(III) nitrate was used as a catalyst. The adsorbability of hydrogen on carbon-supported iron particles obtained after gasification was examined by temperature-programed desorption (TPD). The TPD spectrum of hydrogen, in particluar, at temperatures above 200 °C, for a cluster-derived sample differed from that for a nitrate-derived sample. In addition, the apparent activation energy for the desorption of hydrogen in a low-temperature peak at around 90 °C for the former sample was larger than that for the latter. Heat treatments caused the TPD characteristics of the cluster-derived sample to become very similar to those of the nitrate-derived sample.