{
  "abstract": "We report on the synthesis of cobalt‐based thin films via magnetron sputtering at varying conditions, including sputtering pressure, reactive gas composition, substrate temperature, and post‐deposition annealing. The produced thin films exhibit diverse morphologies, crystalline phases, and oxidation states, such as metallic cobalt (Co0) and cobalt oxides (CoO and spinel‐Co3O4). Two thin‐film catalyst architectures, based on Co0 (TFCat1) and CoxOy (TFCat2), on Si/Al2O3/SiO2 support stacks are further developed as analogues of commercial powder‐based Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts. The phase evolution in both of these model catalyst systems is investigated in situ under FTS‐relevant reduction conditions using synchrotron‐based grazing‐incidence x‐ray diffraction. Both catalysts (TFCat1 and TFCat2) were tested for their FTS catalytic performance at comparable operating conditions. A lined‐out CO conversion level of ca. 4.6% and 4.9% was obtained for TFCat1 and TFCat2, respectively. These catalysts exhibited distinct steady‐state product distributions: TFCat1 showed enhanced selectivity toward kerosene‐range hydrocarbons, while TFCat2 produced a wider hydrocarbon distribution extending to C27. Moreover, Cobalt thin‐film model catalyst (TFCat1) shows significantly reduced dewetting compared to its oxide counterpart (TFCat2) under FTS operating conditions. The well‐defined and easy to tune cobalt‐based thin films provide a robust foundation for the rational scale‐up of next‐generation catalysts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "PVcomB Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (HZB) Berlin Germany",
    "Department of Interface Design HZB Berlin Germany",
    "Energy Materials In‐situ Laboratory Berlin (EMIL) HZB Berlin Germany",
    "Department Active Materials and Interfaces for Stable Perovskite Solar Cells Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin Germany",
    "Department Structure and Dynamics of Energy Materials Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin Germany",
    "Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS Dresden Germany",
    "Helmholtz‐Institute Erlangen‐Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) Department of X‐ray Spectroscopy at Interfaces of Thin Films Berlin Germany",
    "Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg (FAU) Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy Erlangen Germany"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 15,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Hamid Raza"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Avela Kunene"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alexander Steigert"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Athanasios Skaltsogiannis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Catalina E. Jiménez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Florian Ruske"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ali Shan Malik"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "René Schwiddessen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Judith Helena Mettke"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Johannes Frisch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Regan G. Wilks"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Erik Reichelt"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Marcus Bär"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rutger Schlatmann"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Amkreutz"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36ntj2q7ds8td.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/smll.75333",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13711477/",
  "id": "36ntj2q7ds8td",
  "issns": [
    "1613-6810",
    "1613-6829"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.75333",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1503|Catalysts for Methane Reforming"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204182138",
  "pdf_url": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/smll.75333",
  "pmcid": "PMC13711477",
  "pmid": "42638403",
  "published": "2026-08-24",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36ntj2q7ds8td.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:22:15Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13711477",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.75333"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1503|Catalysts for Methane Reforming",
      "subfield": "catalysis"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Engineering Cobalt‐Based Thin Films for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis",
  "title_text": "Engineering Cobalt‐Based Thin Films for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:22:15Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/36ntj2q7ds8td",
  "venue": "Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)",
  "versions": []
}