Hydrogenation of CO2 on Nanostructured Cu/FeOx Catalysts: The Effect of Morphology and Cu Load on Selectivity

The aim of this work was to study the influence of copper content and particle morphology on the performance of Cu/FeOx catalysts in the gas-phase conversion of CO2 with hydrogen. All four investigated catalysts with a copper content between 0 and 5 wt% were found highly efficient, with CO2 conversion reaching 36.8%, and their selectivity towards C-1 versus C-2-C-4, C-2-C-4=, and C5+ products was dependent on catalyst composition, morphology, and temperature. The observed range of products is different from those observed for catalysts with similar composition but synthesized using other precursors and chemistries, which yield different morphologies. The findings presented in this paper indicate potential new ways of tuning the morphology and composition of iron-oxide-based particles, ultimately yielding catalyst compositions and morphologies with variable catalytic performances.