Boosting CO hydrogenation towards C(2+) hydrocarbons over interfacial TiO(2−x)/Ni catalysts

Considerable attention has been drawn to tune the geometric and electronic structure of interfacial catalysts via modulating strong metal-support interactions (SMSI). Herein, we report the construction of a series of TiO(2−x)/Ni catalysts, where disordered TiO(2−x) overlayers immobilized onto the surface of Ni nanoparticles (~20 nm) are successfully engineered with SMSI effect. The optimal TiO(2−x)/Ni catalyst shows a CO conversion of ~19.8% in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) process under atmospheric pressure at 220 °C. More importantly, ~64.6% of the product is C(2+) paraffins, which is in sharp contrast to the result of the conventional Ni catalyst with the main product being methane. A combination study of advanced electron microscopy, multiple in-situ spectroscopic characterizations, and density functional theory calculations indicates the presence of Ni(δ−)/TiO(2−x) interfacial sites, which could bind carbon atom strongly, inhibit methane formation and facilitate the C-C chain propagation, lead to the production of C(2+) hydrocarbon on Ni surface.