Novel iron-based catalyst boosts conversion of CO2 to higher alcohols

Higher alcohols (C₂₊OH), important intermediates for fine chemicals, are mainly produced via petrochemical route, which is energy-intensive and environmentally unfriendly.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Sun Jian and Prof. Ge Qingjie from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a monometallic iron catalyst with Na and S co-modification for higher alcohols synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation.

This study was published in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental on July 28.

Iron is a well-known candidate catalyst for CO₂ conversion. However, the strong ability for CO dissociation of the monometallic iron catalyst decreases the efficiency of higher alcohols synthesis.

The proposed monometallic iron catalyst achieved a space-time yield of 78.5 mg g_cat^-1 h^-1 for C₂₊ alcohols at a relatively mild condition, which was comparable to the composite catalysts such as FeCu and FeRh.

The synergistic effects of Na and S enabled the Fe sites in different electronic environment in one metal phase and helped provide matched dissociative and non-dissociative CO activation simultaneously required for higher alcohols synthesis.