Enhancing the activity, stability and retainability of Ni-ZnO/SiO2 for CO2 utilization by amino-functionalization

The utilization of CO2 is nowadays important for alleviating energy and environmental crisis. Herein, amino-functionalization was used to improve the performance of SiO2-supported Ni-ZnO nanocatalyst for the hydrogenation of sodium bicarbonate to formic acid. The activity, stability and retainability were all improved upon the introduction of amino group. A formic acid yield of 30.4% was obtained from sodium bicarbonate when passing 5 vol% H-2/N-2 at 70 degrees C for 4.5 h, which is considered among the best catalytic performances reported under ambient pressure. The simultaneous improvement of the three aspects through a simple operation is attractive in the field of catalysis.