ETH researchers develop single-atom catalyst for methanol from CO2

(CONNECT) Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a single-atom catalyst to make the production of methanol from CO2 and hydrogen more efficient. They use individual indium atoms on a carrier material made of hafnium oxide.

According to the university, the catalytic properties of atoms often change when they are isolated. In conventional catalysts, the metal atoms are usually bundled together in larger particles. In the new approach, each atom can participate directly in the reaction, which increases efficiency.

In order to anchor the individual indium atoms to the carrier, the interdisciplinary ETH team, together with colleagues from other research institutions, heated the starting materials to between 2000 and 3000 degrees Celsius and then cooled them down again quickly. This shows that single-atom catalysts can remain stable even under extreme conditions.

The single-atom catalyst also enables more precise investigations of the mechanisms, as the reactions of the individual atoms can be analyzed with fewer interfering signals.

The alcohol methanol is an important raw material for the chemical industry. Among other things, plastics, fuels and solvents are made from it. "The Swiss army knife of chemistry, so to speak," says Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Professor of Catalyst Engineering at ETH Zurich. He has been researching more efficient catalysts for the production of methanol from CO2 since 2010. ce/as