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HEIndividual fellowship2023–2025

IONICCAT · IONIC Liquid Mediated Synthesis of Zeolite-Supported Metal Oxide Based CATalysts for Converting CO2 to Dimethyl ether

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2023-04-01 → 2025-03-31
EU contribution
€191,760
Participants
1
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

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Results in brief

IONIC Liquid Mediated Synthesis of Zeolite-Supported Metal Oxide Based CATalysts for Converting CO2 to Dimethyl ether

The core of the project is to design well-structured particles in order to study a grand scientific question: what is the effect of particles’ facets on CO2 hydrogenation using ZnZrOx catalyst. After several trials and intensive lab work, we succeeded in synthesizing two different particles morphologies (cubic and octahedral) with different facets; like (100) and (111), respectively. The produced catalysts demonstrated an interesting behavior which allows us to explore, for the first time, the active sites of the unwanted product; namely CO, in this catalytic system. This project is In line with the European vision to lead the suppression of climate change and maintain their leadership in catalyst development and commercialization, the fellow has conducted fundamental work on the development of two different particles’ facets of non-precious supported catalysts. The utilized approach offers a unique way to access new synthesis-structure relations for metal oxide catalysts. This project has enhanced the fundamental understanding of crystal engraving and design to meet the academic (at the short run) and industrial (for medium and long run) demand. The produced knowledge could be expanded to design different types of well-structured low-cost materials using our approach. Hence, the produced knowledge in particles engineering for CO2 hydrogenation, over certain crystal facets to produce methanol, will certainly benefit the extensive efforts to enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of low cost/high reusability non-precious metal catalyst.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Making dimethyl ether (DME) from hydrogenating CO2 has attracted great interest as DME is a good propellant, coolant and clean fuel. This process can break the thermodynamic restriction that exists for methanol synthesis from CO2 and improve the conversion of main greenhouse gas.The synthesis of well-controlled shapes of solid materials in nano-size using ionic liquid (IL) solvents has received tremendous attention by taking advantage of their extraordinary properties. However, the remarkably high viscosity, which makes dispersing the support into the IL a major challenge, has limited their usage to the synthesis of un-supported nanoparticles. As an MSCA fellow, I will receive crucial training at KU Leuven and will work on developing a novel process for the synthesis of supported non-precious metal catalyst using IL. I will synthesize two generations of supported catalysts using novel synthesis procedures. I will produce the one-pot generation (OPG) catalyst by one-pot synthesis of support (zeolite) and metal oxide, whereas the well-structured generation (WSG) catalyst will be made by synthesizing zeolite using the IL as a co-solvent. For the OPG catalyst, both support and metal oxide will be synthesized simultaneously, while for the WSG catalyst, the IL that is used in zeolite synthesis will be re-used to engineer the metal oxide shape. Interestingly, to date the structure sensitivity of the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol and its coupling to DME has not been investigated. I will implement the new catalyst methodology to enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO2 conversion to produce DME and establish synthesis-structure-activity relations.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenCoordinatorBelgium

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union