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 N2-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 CH4, C2-4, and C5+ hydrocarbons in the Fischer-Tropsch process. Use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for ruthenium binding gave a methanation catalyst with ca. 50% selectivity to methane and C2-4. Urea-modified halloysite resulted in the Ru-nanoreactors with high selectivity to valuable C5+ 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 C5+ 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 C2-C4 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 C5+ hydrocarbons. Loading of Ru inside the nanoclay increased the particle stability and prevented their aggregation under reaction conditions.
Keywords: Fischer–Tropsch; alkanes; catalysis; halloysite; hydrocarbons; nanoparticle; nanotube; ruthenium.