An All-in-One Zeolite@Ru-Al2o3 Nanoplatform Towards Highly Efficient, Anticoking, and Recyclable Hydrocarbon Cracking Catalysis

Abstract

Efficient utilization of hydrocarbon fuels holds the great significance for the current vehicle low-emission requirements and future carbon-neutral society. However, the scenario that limits the effective fuel use and combustion is the present undesirable hydrocarbon-cracking catalysts of low activity, serious coking and easy degradation. To tackle these issues, we rationally designed and synthesized an active, anticoking, and recyclable all-in-one zeolite@Ru-Al 2 O 3 catalyst on FeCrAl support by steam-assisted crystallization and atomic layer deposition. Ru nanoclusters dispersedly on ZSM-5 can boost the catalytic efficiency for hydrocarbon cracking and anticoking, while the protective Al 2 O 3 thin layers further ensures the reusable economy. As for n-dodecane(C 12 H 26 ) cracking reaction, the ZSM-5@Ru-Al 2 O 3 showed a high unit activity up to 0.1253%·ml·mg -1 ·min -1 , low carbon deposition rate, and the enhanced 1st-cycle carbon removal rate of 78.3% for recyclable use. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have further confirmed that high catalytic efficiency and low carbon deposition benefits from the timely adsorption of C 12 H 26 and timely transfer of reactant products at the composite interface. This work opens interesting possibilities for the rational design and fabrication of high-efficient, anticoking, and recyclable hydrocarbon cracking catalysts through multifunctional structural regulations.

Keywords: n-dodecane cracking, ZSM-5, Ru nanoclusters, Atomic layer deposition, Anti-coking catalysts