Confinement effects in gas-phase CO2 reduction by Cu hydrides immobilized in mesoporous supports (B05*)

• Subject Area: Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis ; Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Technical Chemistry
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 358283783

Heterogeneously catalyzed gas phase CO2 hydrogenation to methanol can be improved by confinement effects that enhance adsorption, hinder diffusion of reaction intermediates, and enhance metal-support interactions. In this project, monomeric copper hydrides, while not stable in solution, will be stabilized by site isolation in mesoporous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and mesoporous oxide supports with Lewis acidic pore walls. Confinement effects will be understood using a combination of physisorption, IR, NMR, and neutron-scattering methods and rationally exploited to improve the activity and selectivity of gas-phase methanol synthesis.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1333: Molecular Heterogeneous Catalysis in Confined Geometries
• Applicant Institution: Universität Stuttgart
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Deven Estes; Professorin Dr. Bettina Valeska Lotsch