%0 Journal Article %T Use of in situ M ssbauer Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction Techniques for the Characterization of Activated Fe-Ce Catalysts Employed in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis %A in situF.J. P¨¦rez-Alonso %A M. Ojeda %A T. Herranz %A J.M. Gonz¨˘lez-Carballo %A J.L.G. Fierro %A J.F. Bengoa and S.G. Marchettiin situin situ %J The Open Magnetic Resonance Journal %D 2008 %I %R 10.2174/1874769800801010064] %X Several Fe-Ce catalysts for FT synthesis were prepared following two different methods: coprecipitation from Fe and Ce nitrate solutions and a physical mixture of pure Fe and Ce oxide precursors. Previously to CO hydrogenation, catalysts were activated in syngas (50 ml/min, H2/CO = 2) at 553 K for 1 h at atmospheric pressure. The iron phases developed after activation pretreatment were identified by XRD and in situ M ssbauer spectroscopy with the objective to study the effect of the addition of cerium on the reduction behavior and catalytic properties of Fe systems. A good correlation between iron phases detected by both techniques was found. The results revealed that the cerium oxide in the samples prepared by coprecipitation produces two effects: (i) lower reduction rate leading to the metastable Fe1-xO species, and (ii), a decrease in the crystallite size of the iron species upon increasing Ce-contents, as inferred from an increase in superparamagnetic species detected by in situ M ssbauer spectroscopy. Since iron carbides are the ˇ°realˇ± active phases in FT synthesis, the stabilization of Fe1-xO phase after activation is suggested to be responsible for the drop in catalytic activity in Fe-Ce catalysts prepared by coprecipitation during FT synthesis. %U http://www.benthamscience.com/open/tomrj/articles/V001/64TOMRJ.htm