Conversion of CO2 and H2 into propane over InZrOx and SSZ-13 composite catalyst

Abstract Direct converting carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuels and value-added chemicals would offer a very attractive approach for efficient utilization of CO2 as a carbon resource. Although, olefins, aromatics and gasoline have been successfully synthesized by CO2 hydrogenation, highly selective conversion of CO2 and H2 into C2+ hydrocarbon is still challenging due to a high C–C coupling barrier and inhibiting the production of other long-chain hydrocarbons. Here, we report a composite catalyst made of InZrOx and SSZ-13 molecular sieve (InZrOx + SSZ-13), which exhibits 74.5% propane selectivity at 623 K. The 8-MR micropores and the higher strength of the acid for SSZ-13 benefit the formation of propane. Compared with pure InOx and m-ZrO2, the composite oxide InZrOx containing more oxygen vacancies, exhibits to be more readily reduced by H2 and easier to adsorb and desorb CO2 within the reaction temperature. All those could be beneficial to the activation and conversion of H2 and CO2. The catalytic performance of InZrOx + SSZ-13 in CO2 hydrogenation provides a potential for production of propane.