Influence of chalcopyrite removal and mechanical exfoliation on the performance of molybdenite catalysts supported on activated bauxite for alcohol synthesis by Fischer-Tropsch process

[Display omitted] •- Mesoporous activated bauxite was used as catalyst support for HA synthesis.•- Low-grade molybdenite was used as active component for HA synthesis.•- Copper removal increased the alcohol selectivity of Mo-based catalyst.•- Mechanical exfoliation enhanced CO conversion and selectivity of Mo-based catalyst.•The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The top-down approach was used to develop catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis by starting with low-grade molybdenite concentrate and mesoporous activated bauxite as the active metal and support, respectively. The results of the study showed that the process of chemical leaching significantly reduced copper in the form of chalcopyrite in the concentrate by over 95%. This reduction in copper content of purified catalysts led to an increase in the selectivity for C3+ alcohols compared to catalysts based on impure molybdenite. Additionally, the process of exfoliation not only reduced the particle size of the active component but also increased the selectivity for C3+ alcohols and the conversion of CO. The chemical–mechanical activation process developed in this study resulted in an improvement in catalyst activity of more than 50%.