Design of zeolite catalysts for selective CO2 hydrogenation and alcohol production
In a world increasingly pressured to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2 stemming from fossil fuel consumption, the pursuit of sustainable methods for its conversion into valuable chemicals is paramount. While past efforts have predominantly focused on transforming CO2 into lower carbon compounds, there's been a notable gap in exploring pathways to directly convert it into higher carbon compounds like ethanol.
This dissertation addresses this gap by investigating the potential of zeolites as catalyst supports for facilitating the conversion of CO2 into alcohols, with a specific emphasis on ethanol-a versatile and high-demand chemical with applications ranging from fuel additives to industrial intermediates.
This dissertation focused on various synthesis methods for Cu-based zeolite-supported catalysts, ranging from traditional hydrothermal approaches to innovative techniques like interzeolite transformations and metal encapsulation within zeolite frameworks. Each study aims to provide crucial insights into the development of efficient Cu-based zeolite catalysts tailored specifically for the direct conversion of CO2 into ethanol.
Principal Supervisor:
Professor Søren Kegnæs, DTU Chemistry
Co-supervisor:
Senior Researcher Jerrik Jørgen Mielby, DTU Chemistry
Examiners:
Senior Researcher Leonhard Schill, DTU Chemistry
Research Scientist, Dr Manuel Moliner, Instituto de Tecnologia, Spain
R&D Director, Dr Esben Taarning, Haldor Topsøe A/S
Chairperson:
Associate Professor Susanne Mossin, DTU Chemistry