Recent Progress in Direct DME Synthesis and Potential of Bifunctional Catalysts

PtX technologies are one major building block of the future energy system based on renewables sources. Dimethyl ether (DME) is an important PtX product that can be used as intermediate the production of CO2‐neutral base chemicals. New applications lead to an increase of the global production and the optimization of the process efficiency, especially when considering decentralized synthesis. This review article puts some spotlights on recent developments in methanol and the direct DME synthesis with a special focus on the modeling and bifunctional catalyst. This study is expected to provide a foundation for future works in the field of catalysis research based on catalysts design and kinetic modeling. DME is a promising CO2‐neutral energy carrier that can be efficiently produced via methanol from syngas streams derived from a variety of feedstocks such as non‐fossil CO2 resources, bio‐waste and green H2 provided through electrolysis using renewable electricity. This review considers recent developments with focus on modeling and bifunctional catalyst.