The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction has a history spanning nearly a century. Fischer and Tropsch pioneered this reaction in the 1920s, and it found utility for fuel production during World War II. In the era of abundant gas and oil, with no restrictions on CO₂ emissions, its significance as a pathway for fuel and chemical production declined. However, as we confront the global challenge of producing environmentally friendly chemicals, there has been a resurgence of interest in the FT reaction and XTL processes.

Looking ahead, in order to mitigate CO₂ emissions, it is necessary to develop XTL processes utilising non-standard feeds, such as biomass, waste, and CO₂ itself. The scale of these XTL processes is likely to be smaller than current commercial XTL processes due to the dispersed nature of the feed. Progress in improving the selectivity of the FT reaction and design of  XTL  processes is necessary to ensure that these processes are both straightforward and safe to operate while remaining economically viable.

This special issue explores developments in FT and its potential applications in producing green fuels and chemicals.