The conversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methanol and higher alcohols

Direct Conversion of CO2 into Alcohols Using Cu-Based Zeolite Catalysts

The direct hydrogenation of CO2 into alcohols is an attractive but challenging catalytic reaction. Herein, it was shown that Cu nanoparticles supported on MFI and BEA zeolites have high catalytic activity and selectivity for converting CO2 into ethanol and isopropanol. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of introducing mesopores via carbon templating and encapsulating the Cu nanoparticles via subsequent recrystallization. All the catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, XRD, SEM, TEM, NH3 TPD, XPS, and XRF, before we tested them in a high-pressure water-filled autoclave with a constant partial pressure of CO2 (1 MPa) and an increasing partial pressure of H2 (3-5 MPa). In general, the mesoporous zeolite catalysts resulted in a higher CO2 conversion and selectivity toward ethanol than their non-mesoporous equivalents, while the recrystallized catalyst with encapsulated Cu nanoparticles had a higher selectivity towards isopropanol. For example, Cu@m-S1 showed the highest isopropanol productivity among the recrystallized mesoporous zeolites, corresponding to 20.51 mmol g-1  h-1 under the given reaction conditions. These findings highlight the importance of mesopores in zeolite catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to alcohols and point a new direction for further research and development.

Carbon-Based Electron Buffer Layer on ZnOx -Fe5 C2 -Fe3 O4 Boosts Ethanol Synthesis from CO2 Hydrogenation

The conversion of CO2 into ethanol with renewable H2 has attracted tremendous attention due to its integrated functions of carbon elimination and chemical synthesis, but remains challenging. The electronic properties of a catalyst are essential to determine the adsorption strength and configuration of the key intermediates, therefore altering the reaction network for targeted synthesis. Herein, we describe a catalytic system in which a carbon buffer layer is employed to tailor the electronic properties of the ternary ZnOx -Fe5 C2 -Fe3 O4 , in which the electron-transfer pathway (ZnOx →Fe species or carbon layer) ensures the appropriate adsorption strength of -CO* on the catalytic interface, facilitating C-C coupling between -CHx * and -CO* for ethanol synthesis. Benefiting from this unique electron-transfer buffering effect, an extremely high ethanol yield of 366.6 gEtOH  kgcat -1  h-1 (with CO of 10 vol % co-feeding) is achieved from CO2 hydrogenation. This work provides a powerful electronic modulation strategy for catalyst design in terms of highly oriented synthesis.

Theoretical study of Mo2N supported transition metal single-atom catalyst for OER/ORR bifunctional electrocatalysis

The rational design and development of an efficient bifunctional catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key to developing new renewable energy storage and conversion technologies. Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) have shown excellent energy storage and electrochemistry potential due to their unique electronic structure and physicochemical properties. In this paper, based on the first-principles method of density functional theory (DFT), a series of efficient and stable bifunctional single-atom catalysts (SACs) were designed on Mo2N by introducing transition metal atoms as active sites, and the effects of different TM atoms on the catalytic performance of 2D-Mo2N (Two dimensional Mo2N) were evaluated. The calculation results show that TM@Mo2N exhibits excellent stability and good conductivity, which is conducive to electron transfer during the electrocatalytic reaction. Among these SACs, the Au@Mo2N single-atom catalyst has a very low OER overpotential (0.36 V), exhibiting high OER activity. Meanwhile, Au@Mo2N also exhibits excellent ORR performance with a low overpotential of 0.4 V, indicating that Au@Mo2N is the best OER/ORR bifunctional catalyst. This work provides a feasible solution for developing transition metal bifunctional electrocatalysts. Au@Mo2N is expected to replace traditional commercial Pt catalyst materials and become a catalyst with excellent performance in fuel cell modules.

Recent Advances in Carbon Dioxide Adsorption, Activation and Hydrogenation to Methanol using Transition Metal Carbides

The inevitable emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) due to the burning of a substantial amount of fossil fuels has led to serious energy and environmental challenges. Metal-based catalytic CO₂ transformations into commodity chemicals are a favorable approach in the CO₂ mitigation strategy. Among these transformations, selective hydrogenation of CO₂ to methanol is the most promising process that not only fulfils the energy demands but also re-balances the carbon cycle. The investigation of CO₂ adsorption on the surface of heterogeneous catalyst is highly important because the formation of various intermediates which determines the selectivity of product. Transition metal carbides (TMCs) have received considerable attention in recent years because of their noble metal-like reactivity, ceramic-like properties, high chemical and thermal stability. These features make them excellent catalytic materials for a variety of transformations such as CO₂ adsorption and its conversion into value-added chemicals. Herein, the catalytic properties of TMCs are summarize along with synthetic methods, CO₂ binding modes, mechanistic studies, effects of dopant on CO₂ adsorption, and carbon/metal ratio in the CO₂ hydrogenation reaction to methanol using computational as well as experimental studies. Additionally, this Review provides an outline of the challenges and opportunities for the development of potential TMCs in CO₂ hydrogenation reactions.

Thermodynamic Analysis of CO2 Hydrogenation to Higher Alcohols (C2-4OH): Effects of Isomers and Methane

Synthesis of higher alcohols (C_2-4OH) by CO₂ hydrogenation presents a promising way to convert CO₂ into value-added fuels and chemicals. Understanding the thermodynamics of CO₂ hydrogenation is of great importance to tailor the reaction network toward synthesis of higher alcohols; however, the thermodynamic effects of various alcohol isomers and methane in the reaction system have not yet been fully understood. Thus, we used Aspen Plus to perform thermodynamic analysis of CO₂ hydrogenation to higher alcohols, studying the effects of alcohol isomers and methane. Thermodynamically, methane is the most favorable product in a reaction system containing CO, CO₂, and H₂, as well as C_1-4 alkanes, alkenes, and alcohols. The thermodynamic favorability of alcohol isomers varies significantly. The presence of methane generally deteriorates the formation of higher alcohols. However, low temperature, high pressure, high H₂/CO₂ ratio, and formation of alcohols with a longer carbon chain can reduce the effects of methane. Our current study, therefore, provides new insights for enhancing the synthesis of higher alcohols by CO₂ hydrogenation.

Simultaneous sulfidation of Mo and Co oxides supported on Au(111)

Here we present the results of a study carried out to investigate the simultaneous sulfidation of Co and Mo oxide nanoparticles on Au(111) as a synthesis strategy to prepare a model catalyst for hydrodesulfurization (HDS). We make use of scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to track the changes in morphology and chemistry during the synthesis of a mixed Mo and Co oxide precursor and the sulfidation thereafter, to the respective sulfides. We investigated the effects of temperature and the duration of sulfidation on the completeness of the sulfidation process. Our study shows that the formation of MoS₂ with the CoMoS edge (the desired model catalyst) is not affected by the time or the temperature of sulfidation. However, the yield of the Co-promoted MoS₂ slabs is limited by the formation of large clusters due to the spreading of Mo and Co oxide phases upon sulfidation. Complete sulfidation of the mixed oxide precursor to Co-promoted MoS₂ can be accelerated by increasing the sulfidation temperature to 730 K due to the thermally activated nature of Mo oxide sulfidation. Thus, we demonstrate that using a mixed Mo and Co oxide precursor as a starting point for the Co-promoted MoS₂ phase for fundamental catalytic studies is a viable strategy.

Hydroxyl-mediated ethanol selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation

Oxide-supported Rh nanoparticles have been widely used for CO₂ hydrogenation, especially for ethanol synthesis. However, this reaction operates under high pressure, up to 8 MPa, and suffers from low CO₂ conversion and alcohol selectivity. This paper describes the crucial role of hydroxyl groups bound on Rh-based catalysts supported on TiO₂ nanorods (NRs). The RhFeLi/TiO₂ NR catalyst shows superior reactivity (≈15% conversion) and ethanol selectivity (32%) for CO₂ hydrogenation. The promoting effect can be attributed to the synergism of high Rh dispersion and high-density hydroxyl groups on TiO₂ NRs. Hydroxyls are proven to stabilize formate species and protonate methanol, which is easily dissociated into *CH _x , and then CO obtained from the reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGS) is inserted into *CH _x to form CH₃CO*, followed by CH₃CO* hydrogenation to ethanol.

Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation into Higher Hydrocarbons and Oxygenates: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Bounds and Progress with Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalysis

Under specific scenarios, the catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ with renewable hydrogen is considered a suitable route for the chemical recycling of this environmentally harmful and chemically refractory molecule into added-value energy carriers and chemicals. The hydrogenation of CO₂ into C₁ products, such as methane and methanol, can be achieved with high selectivities towards the corresponding hydrogenation product. More challenging, however, is the selective production of high (C₂₊ ) hydrocarbons and oxygenates. These products are desired as energy vectors, owing to their higher volumetric energy density and compatibility with the current fuel infrastructure than C₁ compounds, and as entry platform chemicals for existing value chains. The major challenge is the optimal integration of catalytic functionalities for both reductive and chain-growth steps. This Minireview summarizes the progress achieved towards the hydrogenation of CO₂ to C₂₊ hydrocarbons and oxygenates, covering both solid and molecular catalysts and processes in the gas and liquid phases. Mechanistic aspects are discussed with emphasis on intrinsic kinetic limitations, in some cases inevitably linked to thermodynamic bounds through the concomitant reverse water-gas-shift reaction, which should be considered in the development of advanced catalysts and processes.

Bromide promoted hydrogenation of CO2 to higher alcohols using Ru-Co homogeneous catalyst

Iodides are commonly used promoters in C2+OH synthesis from CO2/CO hydrogenation. Here we report the highly efficient synthesis of C2+OH from CO2 hydrogenation over a Ru3(CO)12-Co4(CO)12 bimetallic catalyst with bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium chloride (PPNCl) as the cocatalyst and LiBr as the promoter. Methanol, ethanol, propanol and isobutanol were formed at milder conditions. The catalytic system had a much better overall performance than those of reported iodide promoted systems because PPNCl and LiBr cooperated very well in accelerating the reaction. LiBr enhanced the activity and PPNCl improved the selectivity, and thus both the activity and selectivity were very high when both of them were used simultaneously. In addition, the catalyst could be reused for at least five cycles without an obvious change of catalytic performance.

Selective Catalytic Synthesis Using the Combination of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen: Catalytic Chess at the Interface of Energy and Chemistry

The present Review highlights the challenges and opportunities when using the combination CO2 /H2 as a C1 synthon in catalytic reactions and processes. The transformations are classified according to the reduction level and the bond-forming processes, covering the value chain from high volume basic chemicals to complex molecules, including biologically active substances. Whereas some of these concepts can facilitate the transition of the energy system by harvesting renewable energy into chemical products, others provide options to reduce the environmental impact of chemical production already in today's petrochemical-based industry. Interdisciplinary fundamental research from chemists and chemical engineers can make important contributions to sustainable development at the interface of the energetic and chemical value chain. The present Review invites the reader to enjoy this exciting area of "catalytic chess" and maybe even to start playing some games in her or his laboratory.

Co-Cu Nanoparticles: Synthesis by Galvanic Replacement and Phase Rearrangement during Catalytic Activation

The control of the phase distribution in multicomponent nanomaterials is critical to optimize their catalytic performance. In this direction, while impressive advances have been achieved in the past decade in the synthesis of multicomponent nanoparticles and nanocomposites, element rearrangement during catalyst activation has been frequently overseen. Here, we present a facile galvanic replacement-based procedure to synthesize Co@Cu nanoparticles with narrow size and composition distributions. We further characterize their phase arrangement before and after catalytic activation. When oxidized at 350 °C in air to remove organics, Co@Cu core-shell nanostructures oxidize to polycrystalline CuO-Co3O4 nanoparticles with randomly distributed CuO and Co3O4 crystallites. During a posterior reduction treatment in H2 atmosphere, Cu precipitates in a metallic core and Co migrates to the nanoparticle surface to form Cu@Co core-shell nanostructures. The catalytic behavior of such Cu@Co nanoparticles supported on mesoporous silica was further analyzed toward CO2 hydrogenation in real working conditions.

Direct synthesis of ethanol via CO2 hydrogenation using supported gold catalysts

Au nanoclusters (NCs) supported on anatase TiO₂ can achieve the high performance for direct synthesis of EtOH via CO₂ hydrogenation.

Synthesis of higher alcohols from CO2 hydrogenation over a PtRu/Fe2O3 catalyst under supercritical condition

Hydrogenation of CO(2) to alcohols is of great importance, especially when producing higher alcohols. In this work, we synthesized heterogeneous PtRu/Fe(2)O(3), in which the Pt and Ru bimetallic catalysts were supported on Fe(2)O(3). The catalyst was used to catalyse CO(2) hydrogenation to alcohols. It was demonstrated that the activity and selectivity could be tuned by the bimetallic composition, and the catalyst with a Pt to Ru molar ratio of 1:2 (Pt(1)Ru(2)/Fe(2)O(3)) had high activity and selectivity at 200°C, which is very low for heterogeneous hydrogenation of CO(2) to produce higher alcohols. The conversion and the selectivity increased with increasing pressures of CO(2) and/or H(2). The catalyst could be reused at least five times without any obvious change in activity or selectivity.

Highly selective hydrogenation of CO2 into C2+ alcohols by homogeneous catalysis

Methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-methyl propanol, butanol, and 2-methyl butanol were produced in homogeneous CO₂ hydrogenation with a selectivity for C₂₊ alcohols of 96.4%.

The hydrogenation of CO₂ to produce alcohols with two or more carbons (C₂₊ alcohols) is of great importance, but is challenging. In this work, we found that a Ru₃(CO)₁₂/Rh₂(CO)₄Cl₂–LiI system could catalyze the reaction effectively in 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI) under mild conditions. Methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-methyl propanol, butanol, and 2-methyl butanol were produced in the homogeneous catalytic reaction. The C₂₊ alcohols could be generated at 160 °C, which is the lowest temperature reported so far for producing C₂₊ alcohols via CO₂ hydrogenation. The selectivity for the C₂₊ alcohols could be as high as 96.4% at the optimized conditions, which is higher than those reported in the literature. In addition, the catalytic system could be easily recycled. The route of the reaction for forming the C₂₊ alcohols was discussed on the basis of control experiments.

The water–boryl radical as a proton-coupled electron transfer reagent for carbon dioxide, formic acid, and formaldehyde — Theoretical approach

The thermochemistry of the hydrogen atom transfer reactions from the H2O–BX2 radical system (X = H, CH3, NH2, OH, F) to carbon dioxide, formic acid, and (or) formaldehyde, which produce hydroxyformyl, dihydroxymethyl, and hydroxymethyl radicals, respectively, were investigated theoretically at ROMP2/6–311+G(3DF,2P)//UB3LYP/6–31G(D) and UG3(MP2)-RAD levels of theory. Surprisingly, in the cases of a strong Lewis acid (X = H, CH3, F), the spin transfer process from the water–boryl radical to the carbonyl compounds was barrier-free and associated with a dramatic reduction in the B–H bond dissociation energy (BDE) relative to that of isolated water–borane complexes. Examining the coordinates of these reactions revealed that the entire hydrogen atom transfer process is governed by the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism. Hence, the elucidated mechanism has been applied in the cases of weak Lewis acids (X = NH2, OH), and the variation in the accompanied activation energy was attributed to the stereoelectronic effect interplaying in CO2 and HCOOH compared with HCHO. We ascribed the overall mechanism as a SA-induced five-center cyclic PCET, in which the proton transfers across the so-called complexation-induced hydrogen bond (CIHB) channel, while the SOMOB–LUMOC=O′ interaction is responsible for the electron migration process. Owing to previous reports that interrelate the hydrogen-bonding and the rate of proton-coupled electron-transfer reactions, we postulated that “the rate of the PCET reaction is expected to be promoted by the covalency of the hydrogen bond, and any factor that enhances this covalency could be considered an activator of the PCET process.” This postulate could be considered a good rationale for the lack of a barrier associated with the hydrogen atom transfer from the water-boryl radical system to the carbonyl compounds. Light has been shed on the water–boryl radical reagent from the thermodynamic perspective.