A 3D-printed CuNi alloy catalyst with a triply periodic minimal surface for the reverse water-gas shift reaction

The efficient enhancement of mass and heat transfer, as well as mechanical stability, has attracted particular interest for fixed-bed reactors in practical applications. Herein, a monolithic CuNi alloy catalyst with ordered microchannels composed of a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) was designed and fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, which boosted the highly efficient and robust reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction. The unique TPMS lattice structure enabled the monolithic CuNi catalyst to enhance mass and heat transfer efficiencies, resulting in a significantly improved catalytic performance for the RWGS reaction compared with the monolithic catalyst with a honeycomb structure or the traditional CuNi/Al2O3 catalyst. Furthermore, the 3D-printed monolithic CuNi catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic and mechanical stability at high reaction temperatures. The simple and cost-effective fabrication of conductive metal catalysts with tunable 3D multichannel architectures opens new opportunities in developing heterogeneous catalysts for fixed-bed reactors. A monolithic CuNi alloy catalyst with a typical triply periodic minimal surface, which is fabricated using 3D printing technology, exhibits significantly enhanced mass and heat transfer as well as exceptional stability towards the RWGS reaction.