The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) continues to be an attractive alternative for producing a broad range of fuels and chemicals through the conversion of syngas (H₂ and CO), which can be derived from various sources, such as coal, natural gas, and biomass. Among iron carbides, Fe₂C, as an active phase, has barely been studied due to its thermodynamic instability. Here, we fabricated a series of Fe₂C embedded in hollow carbon sphere (HCS) catalysts. By varying the crystallization time, the shell thickness of the HCS was manipulated, which significantly influenced the catalytic performance in the FTS. To investigate the relationship between the geometric structure of the HCS and the physic-chemical properties of Fe species, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N₂ physical adsorption, X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, Raman spectroscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy techniques were employed to characterize the catalysts before and after the reaction. Evidently, a suitable thickness of the carbon layer was beneficial for enhancing the catalytic activity in the FTS due to its high porosity, appropriate electronic environment, and relatively high Fe₂C content.

费托合成（FTS）仍然是通过合成气（H ₂和CO）的转化生产多种燃料和化学品的有吸引力的替代方法，合成气可以来自各种来源，例如煤，天然气，和生物质。在碳化铁中，由于其热力学不稳定性，尚未对作为活性相的Fe ₂ C进行过研究。在这里，我们制造了一系列的Fe ₂C嵌入空心碳球（HCS）催化剂中。通过改变结晶时间，可以控制HCS的壳厚度，从而显着影响FTS的催化性能。研究HCS的几何结构与Fe物种的物理化学性质之间的关系，透射电子显微镜，X射线衍射，N ₂物理吸附，X射线光电子能谱，氢程序升温还原，拉曼光谱光谱学和穆斯堡尔光谱技术被用来表征反应前后的催化剂。显然，由于碳层的高孔隙率，适当的电子环境和相对较高的铁含量，适当的碳层厚度有利于增强FTS中的催化活性。₂ C含量。