The hydrogenation of metal-adsorbed formate has been experimentally measured by University of Tsukuba researchers and collaborators. This innovation will make it easier to convert carbon dioxide pollution into usable methanol fuel.
Summary. Image credit: University of Tsukuba.
The global climate is still changing due to carbon dioxide pollution. Science Advances revealed how researchers can spot such pollutants, even on a regional and near-instantaneous basis (April 22, 2022). Much research has focused on how to transform carbon dioxide pollution into a fuel, such as methanol, as part of the answer to the pollution problem.
Catalysts made of copper can be used for these transformations. For the best possible conversion of carbon dioxide pollution into methanol fuel, it is important to know the step-by-step chemistry involved. However, the specificity of this chemistry is not yet known; validation tests of existing ideas based on computer simulation are needed.
Now researchers at the University of Tsukuba and working partners have experimentally evaluated the hydrogenation of copper-adsorbed formate in a paper that has just been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. This study will help optimize key processes in the aforementioned pollutant-to-fuel process, accelerating methanol production.
Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide in methanol is a potential key technology for fuel and chemical feedstock production, but optimization of the reaction remains difficult. This is because it is difficult to experimentally detect chemical intermediates in the step-by-step reaction mechanism.
Dr. Kotaro Takeyasu, senior study author and assistant professor, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Two important results require the use of temperature-programmed desorption and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. First, exposure to atomic hydrogen causes hydrogenation of the adsorbed formate at a temperature of 200 K.
The specific chemical composition of the product is not yet known. Furthermore, hydrogenated formate was found to convert back to adsorbed formate or formaldehyde gas in a ratio of 96:4 at a temperature of 250 K.
Based on our experimental and computational work, the activation energy of the hydrogenation of adsorbed formate is approximately 121 kilojoules per mol. Our results are consistent with reported results from methanol synthesis studies.
Dr. Kotaro Takeyasu, senior study author and assistant professor, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba
In this field of work, copper-zinc alloys are particularly common. The research team is currently comparing the activation energies found in the present work with particularly suitable catalytic alloys, which also need experimental and computational studies.
Researchers will be able to better produce methanol from carbon dioxide, according to the results of this study. Such efforts will help turn air pollution into automotive fuel and industrial chemical raw materials. It offers a way to give more value to carbon dioxide, which is usually seen as waste. Researchers may have come up with a new method to maximize the use of limited resources by improving the hydrogenation reaction discussed here.
This research was supported in part by grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Innovative Area “Hydrogenomics” (Grant No. JP18H05519), for Transformative Research Areas (A) “Superordered Structure Science” (Grant No. JP20H05883), and for Challenging research (grant no. JP20K21099).
Journal reference:
Takeyasu, K. et al. (2022) Hydrogenation of formate species using atomic hydrogen on a Cu(111) model catalyst. Journal of the American Chemical Society. doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c02797.
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