Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IONICCAT (IONIC Liquid Mediated Synthesis of Zeolite-Supported Metal Oxide Based CATalysts for Converting CO2 to Dimethyl ether)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-04-01 al 2025-03-31
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.
Due to the absence of clear guidelines in characterizing heterogeneous catalyst facets in structure-sensitive reactions, there's been massive confusion in determining particle facets. Consequently, extensive work (some published in top journals) was nearly wasted. Together with Prof. Michiel Dusselier, they developed this opinion after being invited by Guest Editor Dr. MARIAM AMEEN to contribute to the journal "Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry." They highlighted the confusion and supported them with real published examples, aiming to guide beginners in this field. The guideline paper under the title: “Guidelines toward reliable facets characterization for structure-sensitive reactions” for the researcher in this area as an opinion article in a reputable journal; namely: Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, we Prof. Dusselier and the fellow wrote together.
The fellow have synthesized successfully different shapes of ZnZrOx catalyst; namely octahedral and cubic. The fellow has conducted extensive characterization on the developed catalyst. He could see clearly the successful formation of the catalyst particles with different morphology (cubic and octahedral). One of the shapes; namely cubic ZnZrOx, is missed from the library of this material and he could synthesis in Prof. Dusslier’s lab this novel shape which has not been reported in the literature. In order to get the cubic morphology, he had analyze critically the existed data in the literature. Conduct several experiment and optimize the structure. Finally he succeed in obtaining the cubic morphology of ZrO2 particles.
The developed catalyst is dynamic in nature where the catalytic activity is increasing over the time under reaction conditions. This allows the fellow, for the first time, to observe the formed active sites and correlate them to the produced products. Consequently, he can determine the active sites that are responsible for the formation of CO as it has been always overlooked in the literature.
The fellow have synthesized successfully different shapes of ZnZrOx catalyst; namely octahedral and cubic. The fellow has conducted extensive characterization on the developed catalyst. He could see clearly the successful formation of the catalyst particles with different morphology (cubic and octahedral). One of the shapes; namely cubic ZnZrOx, is missed from the library of this material and he could synthesis in Prof. Dusslier’s lab this novel shape which has not been reported in the literature. In order to get the cubic morphology, he had analyze critically the existed data in the literature. Conduct several experiment and optimize the structure. Finally he succeed in obtaining the cubic morphology of ZrO2 particles.
The developed catalyst is dynamic in nature where the catalytic activity is increasing over the time under reaction conditions. This allows the fellow, for the first time, to observe the formed active sites and correlate them to the produced products. Consequently, he can determine the active sites that are responsible for the formation of CO as it has been always overlooked in the literature.
This research is consider as the first step in understanding the formation of:
(a) novel morphology; namely cubic, of ZnZrOx catalyst which is very promising material for converting CO2 to methanol and other valuable materials like olefines. knowing the optimum material morphology is very crucial in order to design an efficient catalyst at industrial scale to ensure highest catalytic activity and stability.
(b) carbon monoxide (CO) active sites. CO is well-known as a competitive to desired material formation (methanol) during CO2 hydrogenation. By knowing the nature of this active sites, researchers and interested chemical companies could design their catalyst in order to minimize the formation of the undesired sites over the catalyst surface.
(a) novel morphology; namely cubic, of ZnZrOx catalyst which is very promising material for converting CO2 to methanol and other valuable materials like olefines. knowing the optimum material morphology is very crucial in order to design an efficient catalyst at industrial scale to ensure highest catalytic activity and stability.
(b) carbon monoxide (CO) active sites. CO is well-known as a competitive to desired material formation (methanol) during CO2 hydrogenation. By knowing the nature of this active sites, researchers and interested chemical companies could design their catalyst in order to minimize the formation of the undesired sites over the catalyst surface.