Copper-Iron-Zinc-Cerium oxide compositions as most suitable catalytic materials for the synthesis of green fuels via CO2 hydrogenation

Current prospective in the liquid fuels synthesis is prefiguring a greater integration of eco-friendly technologies based on the use of "non-fossil" hydrogen and CO. Therefore, a series of MO@CeO catalysts (i.e. M = Cu, Fe and Zn), at different MO-to-CeO ratio (ca. 0.2-1.5 wt./wt.), were prepared and performed in the in the CO hydrogenation reactions at 20 bar and 200-300 °C, (GHSV; 4,400NL?kg?cat h). Depending on catalyst composition, the CO conversion proceeds according to a "volcano shaped" profiles, resulting more effective at an optimal value of interfacial area (i.e. ? = 0.25). This also substantiate that the occurrence of structural-electronic synergistic effects plays a key role in the catalytic properties. The different catalytic pathway of CuZnO@CeO and CuFeZnO@CeO catalysts prove "dual-sites" and "triple-sites" mechanisms in the CO hydrogenation reactions, respectively.