Molecularly defined precursors for the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts targeting CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

• Grant number: 23/02232-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 23, 2023
• End date: August 22, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Daniela Zanchet
• Grantee: Leonardo da Silva Sousa
• Supervisor: Andrew Beale
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University College London (UCL), England
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/08575-6 - Electronic modulation of Pt atomically dispersed on oxides aiming catalytic applications, BP.DD

Abstract

In the Ph.D. project currently in progress in Brazil, we have synthesized molecularly defined Pt precursors, to understand how these species would impact the Pt/TiO2 metal support interaction and the catalytic performance. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this system, we utilized advanced characterization techniques, such as XAFS and TEM. The catalysts were then applied to the reduction of CO2 to CO, and as a function of the precursor, we were able to improve the catalytic activity by up to eight times. In this BEPE project, we propose to expand our synthetic approach to obtain bimetallic catalysts based on the atomic pairs Cu/Zn, Cu/Zr, Pd/Zn, and Pd/In. Our goal is to study how modifications in the synthetic parameters impact the catalyst's characteristics. To this end, we intend to carry out detailed characterizations, such as, in situ XAFS analysis to study the catalysts' structural modifications under working conditions, coupled with in situ DRIFTS for observation of key intermediates. These materials were thought to be applied in the next step of CO2 reduction, which is the hydrogenation to methanol. (AU)