Supported Nanostructured MoC Materials for the Catalytic Reduction of CO through the Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction.

MoC-based catalysts supported on γ-AlO, SiO and TiO were prepared, characterized and studied in the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) at 548-673 K and atmospheric pressure, using CO:H = 1:1 and CO:H = 1:3 mol/mol reactant mixtures. The support used determined the crystalline MoC phases obtained and the behavior of the supported nanostructured MoC catalysts in the RWGS. All catalysts were active in the RWGS reaction under the experimental conditions used; CO productivity per mol of Mo was always higher than that of unsupported MoC prepared using a similar method in the absence of support. The CO selectivity at 673 K was above 94% for all the supported catalysts, and near 99% for the SiO-supported. The MoC/SiO catalyst, which contains a mixture of hexagonal MoC and cubic MoC phases, exhibited the best performance for CO production.