One-step preparation of bimodal Fe-Mn-K/SiO₂ catalyst and its catalytic performance of slurry phase fischer-tropsch synthesis

Bimodal pore Fe-Mn-K catalysts supported onto SiO₂ pellet were prepared by a one-step incipient wetness impregnation method. In this method, the active component and promoters were used as the "bricks" to directly build up the small pores inside the large pores of silica gel. The catalysts were applied to catalyze Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in slurry phase. Compared with the SiO₂ supported non-bimodal catalysts, the bimodal catalysts exhibited excellent activity due to the improved active metal dispersion and the fastened diffusion efficiency. The preparation method was much more feasible than the previous two-step method, and can be extended to prepare bimodal catalysts with different active components. Graphical Abstract: Bimodal pore Fe-Mn-K catalysts were prepared by a one-step incipient wetness impregnation method using the active component and promoters as the "bricks" to directly build up the small pores inside the large pores of silica gel. The prepared catalyst exhibited excellent activity in slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]