CO2 Methanation over Cobalt Nanoparticles Embedded in ZIF‐L–Derived Porous Carbon

Catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into CH4 is an effective method to convert waste CO2 and green hydrogen into clean fuel on a large scale. However, the viability of such process largely relies on the development of highly active heterogeneous catalysts. Here, a tailored methanation catalyst, Co nanoparticles immobilized into a highly porous N‐doped carbon matrix, is prepared by the carbonization of a cobalt‐based layered zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF−L) material under an argon atmosphere. This catalyst displays a specific activity of 22.3 molCH4/gcat.min at 350 °C, significantly outperforming a similar catalyst derived from the more conventional ZIF‐67 (11.7 molCH4/gcat.min). This is explained by the stabilization of small Co nanoparticles (∼20 nm) and by the presence of abundant medium‐strength basic sites related to the nitrogen doping in the catalyst prepared from ZIF−L. Notably, the new catalyst shows high stability; no deactivation is observed up to 60 hours on stream. CO2 methanation over cobalt nanoparticles: The carbonization of ZIF−L led to cobalt nanoparticles embedded in a porous nitrogen‐doped carbon material. The catalyst showed high activity in the CO2 methanation reaction; this is explained by the stabilization of small Co nanoparticles and by the abundant N species that act as basic sites for CO2 adsorption.