Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether
The synthesis of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) from carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and green hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) offers a sustainable pathway to convert CO<sub>2</sub> emissions into value-added products. This heterogeneous catalytic reaction often uses...
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/4/635 |
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| author | Itzhak I. Maor Svetlana Heyte Oren Elishav Meirav Mann-Lahav Joelle Thuriot-Roukos Sébastien Paul Gideon S. Grader |
| author_facet | Itzhak I. Maor Svetlana Heyte Oren Elishav Meirav Mann-Lahav Joelle Thuriot-Roukos Sébastien Paul Gideon S. Grader |
| author_sort | Itzhak I. Maor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The synthesis of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) from carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and green hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) offers a sustainable pathway to convert CO<sub>2</sub> emissions into value-added products. This heterogeneous catalytic reaction often uses copper (Cu) catalysts due to their low cost compared with their noble metal analogs. Nevertheless, improving the activity and selectivity of these Cu catalysts for these products is highly desirable. In the present study, a new architecture of Cu- and Cu/Zn-based catalysts supported on electrospun alumina nanofibers were synthesized. The catalysts were tested under various reaction conditions using high-throughput equipment to highlight the role of the hierarchical fibrous structure on the reaction activity and selectivity. The Cu or Cu/ZnO formed a unique structure of nanosheets, covering the alumina fiber surface. This exceptional morphology provides a large surface area, up to ~300 m<sup>2</sup>/g, accessible for reaction. Maximal production of methanol (~1106 g<sub>methanol</sub>Kg<sub>Cu</sub><sup>−1</sup>∙h<sup>−1</sup>) and DME (760 g<sub>DME</sub>Kg<sub>Cu</sub><sup>−1</sup>∙h<sup>−1</sup>) were obtained for catalysts containing 7% wt. Cu/Zn with a weight ratio of 2.3 Zn to Cu (at 300 °C, 50 bar). The promising results in CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation to methanol and DME obtained here point out the significant advantage of nanofiber-based catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:20:21Z |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:20:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9443cb445f045ab82a89eb85006ccab2023-11-16T22:26:52ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912023-02-0113463510.3390/nano13040635Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl EtherItzhak I. Maor0Svetlana Heyte1Oren Elishav2Meirav Mann-Lahav3Joelle Thuriot-Roukos4Sébastien Paul5Gideon S. Grader6The Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, IsraelUniversité de Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centrale Lille, Université d’Artois, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS), F-59000 Lille, FranceThe Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, IsraelThe Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, IsraelUniversité de Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centrale Lille, Université d’Artois, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS), F-59000 Lille, FranceUniversité de Lille, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centrale Lille, Université d’Artois, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS), F-59000 Lille, FranceThe Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, IsraelThe synthesis of methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) from carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and green hydrogen (H<sub>2</sub>) offers a sustainable pathway to convert CO<sub>2</sub> emissions into value-added products. This heterogeneous catalytic reaction often uses copper (Cu) catalysts due to their low cost compared with their noble metal analogs. Nevertheless, improving the activity and selectivity of these Cu catalysts for these products is highly desirable. In the present study, a new architecture of Cu- and Cu/Zn-based catalysts supported on electrospun alumina nanofibers were synthesized. The catalysts were tested under various reaction conditions using high-throughput equipment to highlight the role of the hierarchical fibrous structure on the reaction activity and selectivity. The Cu or Cu/ZnO formed a unique structure of nanosheets, covering the alumina fiber surface. This exceptional morphology provides a large surface area, up to ~300 m<sup>2</sup>/g, accessible for reaction. Maximal production of methanol (~1106 g<sub>methanol</sub>Kg<sub>Cu</sub><sup>−1</sup>∙h<sup>−1</sup>) and DME (760 g<sub>DME</sub>Kg<sub>Cu</sub><sup>−1</sup>∙h<sup>−1</sup>) were obtained for catalysts containing 7% wt. Cu/Zn with a weight ratio of 2.3 Zn to Cu (at 300 °C, 50 bar). The promising results in CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation to methanol and DME obtained here point out the significant advantage of nanofiber-based catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/4/635electrospinningnanofiberscatalysthydrogenationCO<sub>2</sub>methanol |
| spellingShingle | Itzhak I. Maor Svetlana Heyte Oren Elishav Meirav Mann-Lahav Joelle Thuriot-Roukos Sébastien Paul Gideon S. Grader Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether Nanomaterials electrospinning nanofibers catalyst hydrogenation CO<sub>2</sub> methanol |
| title | Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether |
| title_full | Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether |
| title_fullStr | Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether |
| title_short | Performance of Cu/ZnO Nanosheets on Electrospun Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanofibers in CO<sub>2</sub> Catalytic Hydrogenation to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether |
| title_sort | performance of cu zno nanosheets on electrospun al sub 2 sub o sub 3 sub nanofibers in co sub 2 sub catalytic hydrogenation to methanol and dimethyl ether |
| topic | electrospinning nanofibers catalyst hydrogenation CO<sub>2</sub> methanol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/4/635 |
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