Ruthenium-Loaded Halloysite Nanotubes as Mesocatalysts for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis

Halloysite aluminosilicate nanotubes loaded with ruthenium particles were used as reactors for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. To load ruthenium inside clay, selective modification of the external surface with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, urea, or acetone azine was performed. Reduction of materials in a flow of hydrogen at 400 °C resulted in catalysts loaded with 2 wt.% of 3.5 nm Ru particles, densely packed inside the tubes. Catalysts were characterized by N(2)-adsorption, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction analysis. We concluded that the total acidity and specific morphology of reactors were the major factors influencing activity and selectivity toward CH(4), C(2–4), and C(5+) hydrocarbons in the Fischer–Tropsch process. Use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for ruthenium binding gave a methanation catalyst with ca. 50% selectivity to methane and C(2–4). Urea-modified halloysite resulted in the Ru-nanoreactors with high selectivity to valuable C(5+) hydrocarbons containing few olefins and a high number of heavy fractions (α = 0.87). Modification with acetone azine gave the slightly higher CO conversion rate close to 19% and highest selectivity in C(5+) products. Using a halloysite tube with a 10–20-nm lumen decreased the diffusion limitation and helped to produce high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons. The extremely small C(2)–C(4) fraction obtained from the urea- and azine-modified sample was not reachable for non-templated Ru-nanoparticles. Dense packing of Ru nanoparticles increased the contact time of olefins and their reabsorption, producing higher amounts of C(5+) hydrocarbons. Loading of Ru inside the nanoclay increased the particle stability and prevented their aggregation under reaction conditions.