Methanol Synthesis at a Wide Range of H<sub>2</sub>/CO<sub>2</sub> Ratios over a Rh‐In Bimetallic Catalyst
Molly Meng‐Jung Li, Hanbo Zou, Jianwei Zheng, Tai‐Sing Wu, Ting‐Shan Chan, Y. L. Soo, Xin‐Ping Wu, Xue‐Qing Gong, Tianyi Chen, Kanak Roy, Georg Held, Shik Chi Edman Tsang
Abstract
Abstract There is increasing interest in capturing H 2 generated from renewables with CO 2 to produce methanol. However, renewable hydrogen production is expensive and in limited quantity compared to CO 2 . Excess CO 2 and limited H 2 in the feedstock gas is not favorable for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol, causing low activity and poor methanol selectivity. Now, a class of Rh‐In catalysts with optimal adsorption properties to the intermediates of methanol production is presented. The Rh‐In catalyst can effectively catalyze methanol synthesis but inhibit the reverse water‐gas shift reaction under H 2 ‐deficient gas flow and shows the best competitive methanol productivity under industrially applicable conditions in comparison with reported values. This work demonstrates a strong potential of Rh‐In bimetallic composition, from which a convenient methanol synthesis based on flexible feedstock compositions (such as H 2 /CO 2 from biomass derivatives) with lower energy cost can be established.