In-catalysts based on porous aromatic frameworks for the liquid-phase CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

Abstract The catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into valuable petrochemical products and fuel components is a promising approach to its utilization. One of the most important products of this reaction is methanol, which is used both for the production of various chemicals and as an alternative fuel. Recently, In-based catalysts have emerged as promising systems for the hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol. However, the challenge of tuning the morphology of the active phase particles and selecting suitable supports and media for efficient catalytic performance remains a key issue. Herein, In-catalysts based on the porous aromatic framework PAF-20 and its aminated analogue PAF-20-NH 2 were synthesized and tested in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol for the first time. The structure of the materials and catalysts was established using low temperature N 2 adsorption, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, TEM and XPS. According to XPS data, a short reduction time facilitates the formation of oxygen vacancies in the structure of In-catalysts. The influence of reaction temperature, hydrogen pressure, indium content, and reaction media on the catalytic activity was systematically studied. In–PAF-20 demonstrated the highest methanol production rate of 435 mg MeOH g In −1 h − 1 at 60 atm and 275°C, while in a subcritical ethanol In–PAF-20-NH 2 exhibited methanol production rate of 507 mg MeOH g In −1 h − 1 . Both catalysts retained their activity over five reuse cycles.