Hydrogenation of CO 2 to Chemicals with Green Hydrogen

Abstract

Catalytic conversion of CO 2 into added-value energy carriers or chemicals utilizing hydrogen produced from renewable energy is a promising and powerful route to tackle the challenges imposed by climate change and energy demand–supply deficit in the modern world. Much progress has thus been made in CO 2 hydrogenation to value-added products represented by methanol and lower olefins as well as aromatics, but there are still significant challenges in developing active, selective, and stable catalysts suitable for large-scale commercialization. This paper highlights the recent advances in the development of heterogeneous catalysts for the direct hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol and lower olefins as well as aromatics, with special emphasis on catalyst design, catalytic performance, and relationships between structure and activity. After introducing briefly the CO 2 molecule and H 2 sources, the progress in the development of heterogeneous catalysts for these important hydrogenation reactions is discussed in detail. Also, the key factors affecting catalytic performances such as the support and promoter are outlined. Finally, the summary and future outlook associated with the CO 2 hydrogenation to value-added chemicals are presented.