title: Low Pressure CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol over Gold Nanoparticles Activated on a CeO(x)/TiO2 Interface.
abstract: Capture and recycling of CO2 into valuable chemicals such as alcohols could help mitigate its emissions into the atmosphere. Due to its inert nature, the activation of CO2 is a critical step in improving the overall reaction kinetics during its chemical conversion. Although pure gold is an inert noble metal and cannot catalyze hydrogenation reactions, it can be activated when deposited as nanoparticles on the appropriate oxide support. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, it is shown that an electronic polarization at the metal-oxide interface of Au nanoparticles anchored and stabilized on a CeO(x)/TiO2 substrate generates active centers for CO2 adsorption and its low pressure hydrogenation, leading to a higher selectivity toward methanol. This study illustrates the importance of localized electronic properties and structure in catalysis for achieving higher alcohol selectivity from CO2 hydrogenation.
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kattel
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: Sanjaya D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Senanayake
authors.forename: J Anibal
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Boscoboinik
authors.affiliation: §Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowa
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: ∥Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graciani
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.
authors.forename: Darío J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stacchiola
authors.affiliation: †Chemistry Department and ‡Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States.|⊥Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States.
authors.forename: Jingguang G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chen