Review on recent advances in supported metal catalysts for synthesis of high energy density fuels

Abstract

High energy density (HED) fuels play critical roles in modern aerospace vehicles and long-range weapon systems due to their high-quality density, high combustion calorific value and excellent propulsion capability. The HED fuels can mainly be synthesized by hydrogenation and isomerization of petroleum-based compounds, hydrodeoxygenation of biomass-derived compounds, reverse water gas shift of CO₂ and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis or hydrogenation of CO₂ and chain growth. The synthesis of HED fuels often involves multiple elementary reactions, high reaction energy barrier and formation of by-products, so developing high-performance catalysts for enhancing the reaction process are indispensable. In this review, the recent research progress of the supported metal catalysts used for synthesis of various HED fuels and the key factors affecting their catalytic efficiency are summarized. The advantages and defects of common supports such as oxides, molecular sieves, carbon materials, MOFs and their derivatives, and polymers for supporting the metals are analyzed. Special emphasis is placed on the synthesis strategy and structure–activity correlations of these catalytic materials. Finally, future challenges and opportunities for applying supported metal catalysts in HED fuels synthesis are also presented.