Potassium-driven pathway modulation in CO2 hydrogenation: Tuning ethanol and liquid fuels synthesis over FeCuAl catalysts

Wenjie Xiang, Shuhei Yasuda*, Miyu Tonooka, Willie Yang, Kazuki Tsukamoto, Guangbo Liu, Guohui Yang, Weizhe Gao*, Noritatsu Tsubaki

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study explored the influence of potassium (K) loading on CO2 hydrogenation, with an emphasis on modulating products selectivities towards C5+ hydrocarbons and ethanol. A series of K(x)/FeCuAl catalysts were synthesized using a co-precipitation method, enabling precise control over K loading. The results demonstrated that K plays a critical role in modifying the catalytic pathway, enhancing C5+ hydrocarbon selectivity while concurrent regulating ethanol production. Specifically, moderate K loading (1.6 wt%) yielded the highest ethanol space-time yield (STY) of 603 gAcHkgcat−1h−1, whereas increased K loading (3.5 wt%) favored C5+ hydrocarbon production, achieving a maximum STY of 632 gfuelkgcat−1h−1. Comprehensive characterization using XPS, Mössbauer spectra and in-situ DRIFT spectra revealed that K loading altering the chemical environment on the catalyst surface, thereby influencing the CO2 hydrogenation pathway by balancing carbon chain growth and C-C coupling between oxygenated compounds. This study highlights the potential of K loading manipulation to precisely control product distribution in CO2 hydrogenation, providing a viable pathway for optimizing catalyst performance for targeted chemical synthesis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number125157
JournalApplied Catalysis B: Environmental
Volume369
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025/07/15

Keywords

  • C hydrocarbons
  • CO hydrogenation
  • Ethanol
  • Fe-based catalyst
  • K loading

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • General Environmental Science
  • Process Chemistry and Technology

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