Producing methanol from waste CO2 could be a powerful tool in the effort to reduce our carbon emissions. The methanol produced from this process can then itself be used as a chemical or as fuel.
Unfortunately, the conventional method we have to undertake this process is cost and energy intensive. Thermal catalytic CO2 hydrogenation requires temperatures of 220–300 °C and pressure of 50-150 bar, making it challenging for widespread use.
A new approach has been developed to address these concerns, coupling catalyst design with the use of a nonthermal plasma (NTP) for catalytic CO2 hydrogenation. This new approach is both conducive to green methanol production, thanks to its effectiveness at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure whilst also being sparing in the amount of catalyst active ingredient. While initial research is promising, more work needs to be done to understand this new process and hone it for commercial use.
An international team of scientists from the UK, Japan, and China has published a new study in Nature Catalysis, revealing important new insights into the reaction mechanisms involved in methanol synthesis. Using advanced in situ and operando characterisation techniques, particularly on beamlines B18 and I15-1 at Diamond Light Source and their home laboratories, the researchers were able to determine the active state of the catalyst and track the mechanistic steps leading to methanol formation during non thermal plasma (NTP) catalysis.
The study identified an optimal copper–zinc (Cu–Zn) catalyst formulation for maximum methanol yield. In particular, they found that when combined, copper (metal) and zinc (oxide) exhibit a synergistic effect, performing significantly better together than either component alone—mirroring the behaviour of the established industrial methanol synthesis catalyst.
Professor Andrew M Beale, from Research Complex at Harwell and UCL, explains that:
What is impressive is that significant methanol selectivity and conversion is obtained at ambient pressure and without the need for external heating. These results show that the coupling of catalyst design and reactor innovation can yield remarkable performance and opens up new avenues of investigation as we move towards a more sustainable society.
