The industrial-relevant cobalt catalysts are usually promoted by a noble metal in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, a key technology for production of synthetic fuels from various carbon resources (biomass, shale gas, and coal) via syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), but the function of noble metals remains controversial, hindering the design of high-performance and cost-effective catalysts. Here, we report that some noble metals, which can stabilize the active hexagonal close-packed phase of cobalt nanoparticles, facilitate the CO conversion and the formation of long-chain hydrocarbons. As the most representative promoter, iridium modulates geometric and electronic structures of cobalt surfaces, thus facilitating the CO dissociation and increasing the barrier for methane formation and the resistance to cobalt oxidation. The fabrication of iridium-cobalt single-atom alloy nanoparticles offers high CO conversion activity and about 95% selectivity of long-chain hydrocarbons with methane selectivity suppressed to lower than 3%, as well as ultrahigh stability over 1,300 h.

工业相关的钴催化剂通常由费托合成中的贵金属促进，这是通过合成气（氢气和一氧化碳的混合物）从各种碳资源（生物质、页岩气和煤）生产合成燃料的关键技术)，但贵金属的功能仍存在争议，阻碍了高性能和高性价比催化剂的设计。在这里，我们报告了一些可以稳定钴纳米颗粒的活性六方密堆积相的贵金属，促进 CO 转化和长链烃的形成。作为最具代表性的促进剂，铱调节钴表面的几何结构和电子结构，从而促进 CO 解离并增加甲烷形成的屏障和对钴氧化的抵抗力。