Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3 OH on Supported Cu Nanoparticles Promoted by Isolated TiIV Surface Sites on SiO2

Abstract

Small and narrowly distributed Cu nanoparticles, supported on SiO₂ decorated with isolated Ti^IV sites, prepared through surface organometallic chemistry, showed significantly improved CO₂ hydrogenation activity and CH₃ OH selectivity compared to the corresponding Cu nanoparticles supported on SiO₂ . These isolated Lewis acid Ti^IV sites, evidenced by UV/Vis spectroscopy, are proposed to stabilize surface intermediates at the interface between Cu nanoparticles and the support.

Keywords: CH3OH synthesis; CO2 hydrogenation; heterogeneous catalysis; surface organometallic chemistry; titanium.