Regulation strategies of atom economy for iron-based catalysts in syngas catalytic conversion

Abstract As a key evaluation metric for direct catalytic syngas conversion, hydrogen atom economy or carbon atom economy can accurately quantify the different atom flows during the main and side reactions, which would provide new insight for the rational design. This work reviewed the active phase types, structural evolution patterns, and regulatory mechanisms for syngas conversion on iron-based catalysts. On this basis, it elaborated the optimization paths of carbon and hydrogen atom economies and analyzed the coupling and trade-offs. It was pointed out that the balance of hydrogen atom economy and carbon atom economy was the goal for improving the atomic utilization efficiency in iron-based catalytic syngas conversion. Moreover, the appropriate application of interdisciplinary strategies could open up new perspectives for the efficient regulation of atom economy and provide novel insights for developing high-performance catalytic systems.