Synthesis of defect-rich La2O2CO3 supports for enhanced CO2-to-methanol conversion efficiency

Converting CO2 to methanol is crucial for addressing fuel scarcity and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Cu-based catalysts, with their diverse surface states, offer the potential to control reaction pathways and generate reactive H* species. However, a major challenge lies in oxidizing active Cu0 species by water generated during the catalytic process. While nonreducible metal oxides are beneficial in stabilizing metallic states, their limited capability to generate surface oxygen vacancies (OV) hinders CO2 activation. Herein, we present a strategy by doping Nd into a La2O2CO3 (LOC) support, enhancing OV formation by disrupting its lattice dyadicity. This leads to higher Cu0 concentration and improved CO2 activation. The resulting Cu/LOC:Nd catalyst notably outperforms Cu/LOC and CuZnAl catalysts, achieving a methanol yield of 9.9 moles of methanol per hour per mole of Cu. Our approach opens up possibilities for enhancing Cu-based catalysts in CO2 conversion.