Ethanol formation from CO2 hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure using Cu catalysts: water as a key component

Author(s):
da Silva, A.H.M.; Vieira, L.H.; Santanta, C.S.; Koper, M.T.M. (0000-0001-6777-4594); Assaf, E.M.; Assaf, J.M.; Gomes, J.F.
Published
2023
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Abstract

The catalytic conversion of CO2 can reduce its impact in the atmosphere and produce chemicals of industrial interest. Based on this, herein, ethanol formation from CO2 hydrogenation with water was studied. Inspired by CO2 electroreduction results, we show that ethanol can be formed at atmospheric pressure, using metallic Cu catalysts in the CO2 hydrogenation with water steam (CO2 + H-2 + H2O) with selectivity of 84% and productivity of similar to 2 mu mol.gcat(-1) .h(-1) at 190 degrees C. When only H2O is used (without H-2), the same trend was observed. To the best of our knowledge, ethanol is reported for the first time to be synthesized at atmospheric pressure, using only CO2 and water as reactants in a thermocatalytic process. H-1 NMR results showed that water (and deuterated water) hydrogenate CO2 to form ethanol. CO-DRIFTS analyses revealed that water enhances the carbon-metal strengthening and this can explain why ethanol production is favored during the CO2 hydrogenation.

Date issued
2023-05-05
Language
English
Publisher
ELSEVIER
Is part of
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2023), 122221
hdl
1887/3564628
doi
10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.122221