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Currently, Fe-based catalysts are a highly promising option for CO2hydrogenation to produce hydrocarbon products, including light olefins, but understanding the behaviors of catalytically active Fe-containing phases and supports is key to regulating the catalytic performance. Here, we synthesized different metal oxide (i.e., TiO2, ZrO2, Al2O3, and CeO2)-supported Fe catalysts for CO2hydrogenation to produce hydrocarbons through varying metal–support interactions in catalyst precursors. It was demonstrated that Fe/ZrO2and Fe/Al2O3catalysts exhibited superior catalytic activity and selectivity of light olefins compared to other supported Fe catalysts. Combining multiple structural characterizations with catalytic experimental results, it was revealed that for the Fe/ZrO2catalyst, appropriately strong Fe–support interactions facilitated the generation of a large amount of defective FeOxcomponent and a certain amount of iron carbides, thus constructing a favorable synergistic catalysis to benefit activated adsorption of CO2and H2and CO intermediate dissociation and thus promote the generation of light olefins. The findings highlight the pivotal role of metal–support interactions in precisely tuning the overall catalytic behavior of Fe-based catalysts and offer deep insights into the synergistic effect of catalytically active surface species on catalysts for CO2hydrogenation.

Currently, the depletion of fossil fuels has become a pressing issue for society, and one potential solution is the conversion of ethanol, a vital biomass derivative, into high-value chemicals using tandem reactions based on anaerobic dehydrogenation processes. Here, we developed a new copper nanocatalyst supported on a defect-rich MnOxmatrix, fabricated by a modified coprecipitation method using a microliquid-film (MLF) reactor. By enhancing the micromixing of Mn and Cu ions in the synthesis solution, the use of the MLF reactor promoted the dispersion of copper particles with favorable interfacial Cu+–O–Mn structures and the formation of defect-rich MnOxsupport with abundant oxygen vacancies. The as-fabricated Cu/MnOxcatalyst delivered a higher yield of acetaldehyde and greater structural stability, compared to two Cu-based catalysts produced using traditional impregnation and coprecipitation methods. Surface defective oxygen vacancies and interfacial Cu+–O–Mn structures were found to effectively facilitate the activation adsorption of ethanol and stabilize the formed ethoxy intermediate, improving the dehydrogenation of ethanol to produce acetaldehyde. This work presents a novel synthesis strategy for supported metal catalysts, which enables the creation of active surface-interface structures, resulting in exceptional catalytic properties for use in various advanced catalytic processes.