Silica-alumina catalyst support, catalysts made therefrom and methods of making and using same

A catalyst comprising:

• a porous composite support comprising a first element and a second element with a molar ratio of the first element to the second element between about 3:1 and about 1,000:1, wherein the first element comprises silicon, titanium, zirconium, thorium, cerium, aluminum, boron, oxides thereof, or any combination thereof and wherein the second element comprises aluminum, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, sulfate, boron, gallium, scandium, oxides thereof, or any combination thereof;
• and
• a catalytic metal comprising catalytic metal crystallites deposited on said porous composite support, wherein the catalytic metal comprises cobalt, iron, ruthenium, nickel, or combinations thereof and wherein the catalytic metal comprises between about 10 and about 40 wt. % of the total catalyst weight and further wherein the catalytic metal average crystallite size is between about 6 nm and about 25 nm;
• wherein the support is made in a manner effective in distributing species of said second element amongst species of said first element;
• wherein the porous composite support has an average pore size between 5 nm and 40 nm a surface area of between about 275 and about 600 m2/g;
• wherein the porous composite support is made by a sol-gel method and the sol-gel method comprises:
• mixing a compound of the first element and a compound of the second element under conditions effective for providing a homogeneous hydrogel comprising the molar ratio of the first element to the second element;
• aging the hydrogel;
• and treating the hydrogel to form the porous composite support, wherein the treating comprises drying and calcining in air;
• wherein the catalyst has a molar ratio of said catalytic metal to said second element between about 2:1 and about 1,000:1;
• wherein species of said second element serve as nucleation centers for said catalytic metal crystallites;
• and
• wherein the catalyst further comprises a promoter selected from the group consisting of silver, boron, ruthenium, rhenium, palladium, platinum, or any combination thereof.