(545a) New Bimetallic Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation to Chemicals and Fuels for Sustainable Energy Development

Abstract for AIChE CO2 Symp – Nov
2016

New Bimetallic Catalysts for CO₂
Hydrogenation to Chemicals and Fuels for Sustainable Energy Development

Professor Chunshan SONG*

EMS Energy Institute, Dept of
Energy & Mineral Engineering, and Dept of Chemical Engineering,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

*Email: csong@psu.edu; Tel: 814-863-4466;  Fax: 814-865-3573

Capturing
CO₂ and converting it into chemicals, materials, and fuels using H₂
produced with renewable energy, is an important path for sustainable
development and a major challenge in 21^st century. CO₂
has become a plentiful source of carbon, and there are long-term merits in
using CO₂ as a feed for chemicals and materials and as a carrier for
energy. The concentrated CO₂ can be used for manufacturing chemicals
(lower olefins such as ethylene and propylene, methanol, and carbonates), and
fuels (such as liquid transportation fuels including gasoline, diesel and jet
fuels, or synthetic natural gas). Effective use of catalysis and adsorption
over nano-porous materials can decouple the traditional link between energy
utilization and negative environmental impacts. As an example, the
hydrogenation of CO₂ (using H₂ produced from H₂O
using renewable energy) over novel bimetallic catalysts can selectively produce
either C₂-C₄⁼ olefins(and C5+
liquid hydrocarbons) using Fe-Co catalysts, or methanol over Pd-Cu catalysts.
Nano-structured catalysts based on hollow zeolite-encapsulated Ni nanoparticles
can create a highly stable and carbon-resistant catalystsfor
co-conversion of CO₂ and CH₄ in bio-gas to syngas for
chemicals and ultra-clean fuels.