title: Indium Oxide as a Superior Catalyst for Methanol Synthesis by CO2 Hydrogenation.
abstract: Methanol synthesis by CO2 hydrogenation is attractive in view of avoiding the environmental implications associated with the production of the traditional syngas feedstock and mitigating global warming. However, there still is a lack of efficient catalysts for such alternative processes. Herein, we unveil the high activity, 100 % selectivity, and remarkable stability for 1000 h on stream of In2 O3 supported on ZrO2 under industrially relevant conditions. This strongly contrasts to the benchmark Cu-ZnO-Al2 O3 catalyst, which is unselective and experiences rapid deactivation. In-depth characterization of the In2 O3 -based materials points towards a mechanism rooted in the creation and annihilation of oxygen vacancies as active sites, whose amount can be modulated in situ by co-feeding CO and boosted through electronic interactions with the zirconia carrier. These results constitute a promising basis for the design of a prospective technology for sustainable methanol production.
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Antonio J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mondelli
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Takuya F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Segawa
authors.affiliation: Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hauert
authors.affiliation: Total Research & Technology Feluy, Zone Industrielle Feluy C, 7181, Seneffe, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drouilly
authors.affiliation: Total Research & Technology Feluy, Zone Industrielle Feluy C, 7181, Seneffe, Belgium.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Curulla-Ferré
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland. jpr@chem.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Ramírez
keywords: CO2 hydrogenation; indium oxide; methanol synthesis; oxygen vacancies; zirconium oxide