Indium Oxide as a Superior Catalyst for Methanol Synthesis by CO2 Hydrogenation

Methanol synthesis by CO2 hydrogenation is attractive in view of avoiding the environmental implications associated with the production of the traditional syngas feedstock and mitigating global warming. However, there still is a lack of efficient catalysts for such alternative processes. Herein, we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2016-05, Vol.55 (21), p.6261-6265
Main Authors: Martin, Oliver, Martín, Antonio J., Mondelli, Cecilia, Mitchell, Sharon, Segawa, Takuya F., Hauert, Roland, Drouilly, Charlotte, Curulla-Ferré, Daniel, Pérez-Ramírez, Javier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum oxide
Carbon dioxide
Catalysis
Catalysts
Climate change
CO2 hydrogenation
Deactivation
Global warming
Hydrogenation
Indium
indium oxide
Indium oxides
Methanol
methanol synthesis
oxygen vacancies
Synthesis gas
Zinc oxide
Zirconia
Zirconium dioxide
zirconium oxide
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Summary:Methanol synthesis by CO2 hydrogenation is attractive in view of avoiding the environmental implications associated with the production of the traditional syngas feedstock and mitigating global warming. However, there still is a lack of efficient catalysts for such alternative processes. Herein, we unveil the high activity, 100 % selectivity, and remarkable stability for 1000 h on stream of In2O3 supported on ZrO2 under industrially relevant conditions. This strongly contrasts to the benchmark Cu‐ZnO‐Al2O3 catalyst, which is unselective and experiences rapid deactivation. In‐depth characterization of the In2O3‐based materials points towards a mechanism rooted in the creation and annihilation of oxygen vacancies as active sites, whose amount can be modulated in situ by co‐feeding CO and boosted through electronic interactions with the zirconia carrier. These results constitute a promising basis for the design of a prospective technology for sustainable methanol production. Surface oxygen vacancies in indium oxide drive the selective hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. Strong electronic interactions between this active phase and the ZrO2 carrier and further vacancy formation by CO co‐feeding lead to excellent catalytic activity.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.201600943