PhD defense of José Moya Cancino

The work presented in this PhD thesis focuses on the activation and deactivation processes of a Co/TiO2 Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) catalyst by using a range of powerful in-situ or operando spectroscopy and microscopy methods. In Chapter 2 the activation and deactivation process of single Co/TiO2 catalyst particles have been studied by using Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) under relevant reaction conditions. In Chapter 3 a novel laboratory-based XANES set-up is described and used that allows performing, a first of its type, in-situ long-term FTS experiments. Chapter 4 presents a comprehensive XAS study on cobalt carbide (Co2C) by using both laboratory-based and synchrotron-based XANES techniques. In Chapter 5 for the first time in-situ X-ray Raman spectroscopy (XRS) combined with X-ray Diffraction (XRD) has been applied for the FTS reaction under relevant conditions of temperature and pressure.  And in Chapter 6 is presented the construction and first measurements of an operando high-pressure Raman spectroscopy set-up developed and constructed in our laboratory to perform long-term FTS experiments at relevant conditions (e.g. 10 bar and 523 K).

Congratulations on this achievement!

Source: website Utrecht University