Supported mesoporous Cu/CeO2-δ catalyst for CO2 reverse water–gas shift reaction to syngas

The design and development of a high performance hydrogenation catalyst is an important challenge in the utilization of CO2 as resources. The catalytic performances of the supported catalyst can be effectively improved through the interaction between the active components and the support materials. The obtained results demonstrated that the oxygen vacancies and active Cu0 species as active sites can be formed in the Cu/CeO2-δ catalysts by the H2 reduction at 400 °C. The synergistic effect of the surface oxygen vacancies and active Cu0 species, and Cu0–CeO2-δ interface structure enhanced catalytic activity of the supported xCu/CeO2-δ catalysts. The electronic effect between Cu and Ce species boosted the adsorption and activation performances of the reactant CO2 and H2 molecules on the corresponding Cu/CeO2-δ catalyst. The Cu/CeO2-δ catalyst with the Cu loading of 8.0 wt% exhibited the highest CO2 conversion rate in the RWGS reaction, reaching 1.38 mmol·gcat−1 min−1 at 400 °C. Its excellent catalytic performance in the RWGS reaction was related to the complete synergistic interaction between the active species via Ce3+-□-Cu0 (□: oxygen vacancy). The Cu/CeO2-δ composite material is a superior catalyst for the RWGS reaction because of its high CO2 conversion and 100% CO selectivity.