Ultradispersed Mo/TiO2 catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

Abstract

Mo/TiO₂ catalysts with atomic dispersion of molybdenum appear active and stable in the gas-phase hydrogenation of CO₂. A comparison between various titania materials shows a crucial effect of the support surface structure on the methanol yield. Molybdenum supported at low coverage on rutile titania nanorods is the most active and methanol-selective system. From catalyst characterization by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed techniques, we suggest that the most active catalysts for methanol production involve ultradispersed molybdate species with high reducibility and strong interaction with the rutile support.