Two decades-long catalytic journey has borne industrial fruit—greener, cleaner, and smarter. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) and heterogeneous hydroformylation are two cornerstone processes in modern chemical manufacturing. They convert syngas (a mixture of CO and H₂, typically derived from coal or biomass) into hydrocarbons and oxygenates that underpin fuel, plastics, and pharmaceutical industries. Yet for over a century, challenges in selectivity, catalyst longevity, and process integration have limited their broader industrial deployment—until now.
In a newly published account in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(25)64701-2 ), a team led by Prof. Yunjie Ding and Prof. Li Yan at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), in collaboration with Dr. Ronghe Lin (Zhejiang Normal University) and Dr. Shenfeng Yuan (Zhejiang University), presents a comprehensive roadmap of scientific breakthroughs that move these legacy reactions into a modern era of green chemistry.
A New Generation of Co–Co₂C Catalysts for FTS. The team developed a series of carbon-supported cobalt–cobalt carbide (Co–Co₂C) catalysts that fundamentally reshape FTS performance. By tuning the interface between metallic cobalt and its carbide phase, they achieved dual-active sites that guide syngas molecules through controlled C–C coupling and CO insertion steps—enabling selective formation of long-chain α-alcohols and olefins. These insights, backed by DFT calculations and operando spectroscopy, translated into real-world application. A 150 kt/a industrial slurry-phase reactor based on the Co–Co₂C system has been in full operation since 2020 in Yulin, China—the first such carbon-supported Co catalyst in global use.
Single-Atom Rh Catalysts Transform Hydroformylation. To overcome the well-known separation and precious metal leaching issues of homogeneous Rh-based hydroformylation, the researchers pioneered a porous organic polymer (POP)-anchored single-atom Rh catalyst: Rh₁/POPs-PPh₃. The catalyst features robust multi-dentate Rh–P bonds, delivering exceptional activity, transient sulfur poisoning and self-recovery, and structural integrity under harsh industrial conditions. In 2020, this innovation was scaled up to the world's first commercial heterogeneous hydroformylation plant in Zhenhai, China, producing 50 kt/a of n-propanol from ethylene with unprecedented catalyst efficiency and longevity. The losses of Rh and ligand are negligible, and the reactor operates continuously, marking a transformative step in green olefin functionalization.
Extending the Value Chain to High-Value Products. Based on these catalytic platforms, they also developed integrated separation schemes and extraction processes to isolate alcohols and paraffins from complex FTS product mixtures with high purity. They further advanced value-chain by converting the FTS-derived α-alcohols into high-value commodities such as, α-olefins, lubricants, and fatty acids, which are not commonly synthesized from coal.
From bench-scale insights to commercial milestones, this research illustrates how a "mechanism-insight-to-green-manufacture" approach—grounded in catalyst design and process coupling—can unlock new industrial opportunities for syngas utilization, especially in coal-rich economies transitioning toward low-carbon futures.
About the journal
Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 17.7.
At Elsevier http://www.journals.elsevier.com/chinese-journal-of-catalysis
Manuscript submission https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/cjcatal
