CO2-TO-FUELS VIA COPPER-CERIA BASED CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION

The utilization of CO2 as starting material for the synthesis of high performing fuels and hydrocarbon products (oils, solvents, chemicals, etc.), using cheap and renewable hydrogen, appears nowadays one of the most promising strategic route for a "greener economy". In this scenario, many transition metals are differently active catalytic materials in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction, at temperature ranging 180-360 °C and pressure up to 100 bar. In particular, the chemistry of copper has been investigated, being among the most performing catalytic elements in the conversion of the refinery syngas (CO/H2; 1/2) into methanol. Therefore, a series of catalytic formulation based on compositions of metal oxides (Cu, Zn and Ce) have been prepared and tested in the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, aiming to ascertain the effect of the catalytic formulation on catalytic performance.