Production of Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Syngas: Principles, Problems, and Prospects

The review deals with the development of catalysts for the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from syngas. The thermodynamic aspects of the syngas conversion to aromatic hydrocarbons and the influence of the properties of the catalytic system on the yield and composition of the reaction products are considered. The mechanisms of the reaction on different catalysts are presented, and the influence of the catalyst active phase and structural features of the support on the activity, stability, and selectivity of the catalysts are discussed. The composition of the catalyst active phase influences the structure of the reaction intermediates and the choice of the process temperature and feed supply rate. The major factors influencing the selectivity of the formation of aromatic compounds are the support pore structure and acidity. The highest yield of aromatic compounds can be reached at maximum close location of various types of catalyst active sites: metal phase and acid sites of the support.