Application of magnetic field to CO hydrogenation using a confined-space catalyst: effect on reactant gas diffusivity and reactivity

An external magnetic field has recently been applied in reaction processes to promote movement and avoid agglomeration of magnetic particles, and also reduce the activation energy through improving the gas–solid contact. In this work, the effect of an external magnetic field on reactant gas diffusivity and reactivity in CO hydrogenation within a confined-space catalyst was investigated for the first time using a conventional reactor packed with a bimetallic 5Fe–5Co/ZSM-5 molecular sieve catalyst. The synergistic effect between magnetic field and limited mass transfer within zeolite cavities improved the mass transfer ability and reaction phenomena of the reactant molecules, leading to enhancement of catalytic activity with tailored reaction pathways. As a result, CO conversion and CH(4) selectivity were increased by factors of 1.9 and 1.3 compared to those without a magnetic field. These synergistic interactions are able to provide an innovative challenge for green and sustainable chemical processes and separation processes by means of selective reactant and product mass transfer designed for selective catalytic conversion in the future.