Conversion of CO2 Into Valuable Light Olefins Using a Carbon Nanosphere Encapsulated Fe-Co-Zn Metallic Catalyst
Faculty Mentor
Cheng Zheng
Area of Research
Chemistry
Major
Biology
Description
INTRODUCTION: Rising levels of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, is a rapidly escalating issue due to emissions from the energy, tech, and fuel industries. Catalytic hydrogenation converts CO2 into value-added compounds such as light olefins, light alkanes, methane, and C5+ hydrocarbons. Light olefins are unsaturated hydrocarbons that are used in the industrial production of fuels, synthetic materials like plastic, chemical solvents, and more. Successful conversion of CO2 into value-added compounds, like light olefins, would not only enhance our efforts in combating global warming; it would also provide green materials for industries to improve sustainability. Purpose: This study tests an iron-cobalt-zinc (Fe-Co-Zn) trimetallic catalyst encapsulated in a carbon nanosphere for efficient CO2 conversion via catalytic hydrogenation. This Fe-Co-Zn catalyst exhibited the highest CO2 conversion and light olefin selectivity in a 1:1:1 ratio, as determined by a previous study.
METHOD: The catalyst was synthesized and encapsulated within a carbon nanosphere (CNS) core-shell structure. A CNS structure on the catalyst has the benefits of thermal stability, increased surface area, and resistance to nanoparticle sintering.
RESULTS: These led to no significant improvement in CO2 conversion and light olefin selectivity compared to the base Fe-Co-Zn catalyst. Instead, the CNS-encapsulated catalysts showed reduced efficacy. The catalyst was tested for CO2 conversion via catalytic hydrogenation in a flow bed reactor. The products of the process were analyzed via gas chromatography indicating that the Fe-Co-Zn (1:1:1) catalyst without the CNS encapsulation presented the highest selectivity of light olefins.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: These results highlight that fine tuning composition and preparation of the catalyst can greatly improve light olefin selectivity and CO2 conversion efficiency, in order to create a viable greenhouse-gas-reducing procedure.
Conversion of CO2 Into Valuable Light Olefins Using a Carbon Nanosphere Encapsulated Fe-Co-Zn Metallic Catalyst
INTRODUCTION: Rising levels of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, is a rapidly escalating issue due to emissions from the energy, tech, and fuel industries. Catalytic hydrogenation converts CO2 into value-added compounds such as light olefins, light alkanes, methane, and C5+ hydrocarbons. Light olefins are unsaturated hydrocarbons that are used in the industrial production of fuels, synthetic materials like plastic, chemical solvents, and more. Successful conversion of CO2 into value-added compounds, like light olefins, would not only enhance our efforts in combating global warming; it would also provide green materials for industries to improve sustainability. Purpose: This study tests an iron-cobalt-zinc (Fe-Co-Zn) trimetallic catalyst encapsulated in a carbon nanosphere for efficient CO2 conversion via catalytic hydrogenation. This Fe-Co-Zn catalyst exhibited the highest CO2 conversion and light olefin selectivity in a 1:1:1 ratio, as determined by a previous study.
METHOD: The catalyst was synthesized and encapsulated within a carbon nanosphere (CNS) core-shell structure. A CNS structure on the catalyst has the benefits of thermal stability, increased surface area, and resistance to nanoparticle sintering.
RESULTS: These led to no significant improvement in CO2 conversion and light olefin selectivity compared to the base Fe-Co-Zn catalyst. Instead, the CNS-encapsulated catalysts showed reduced efficacy. The catalyst was tested for CO2 conversion via catalytic hydrogenation in a flow bed reactor. The products of the process were analyzed via gas chromatography indicating that the Fe-Co-Zn (1:1:1) catalyst without the CNS encapsulation presented the highest selectivity of light olefins.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: These results highlight that fine tuning composition and preparation of the catalyst can greatly improve light olefin selectivity and CO2 conversion efficiency, in order to create a viable greenhouse-gas-reducing procedure.