NANOPHASE IRON-BASED LIQUEFACTION CATALYSTS - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND MODEL-COMPOUND REACTIVITY

Ultrafine nanometer-scale iron-based catalyst precursor powders were g enerated using two novel technologies, the rapid thermal decomposition of precursors in solution (RTDS) and the modified reverse micelle (MR M) processes. The powders were characterized according to their phase and crystallite size and were evaluated for activity toward C-C bond s cission using the model compound, naphthylbibenzylmethane, in the pres ence of elemental sulfur and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene. The catalytic a ctivities of the powders were found to be strongly dependent on their crystallographic phase. RTDS magnetite, six-line ferrihydrite, and fer ric oxyhydroxysulfate were found to have very high activity toward con version of the model compound whereas two-line ferrihydrite and hemati te were determined to be poor or mediocre catalyst precursors. MRM mag netite/maghemite was also found to be a relatively good catalyst precu rsor but exhibited reduced activity when compared to the RTDS magnetit e.