Co-Fe Nanoparticles Wrapped on N-Doped Graphitic Carbons as Highly Selective CO2 Methanation Catalysts

[EN] Pyrolysis of chitosan containing various loadings of Co and Fe renders Co-Fe alloy nanoparticles supported on N-doped graphitic carbon. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the surface of Co-Fe NPs is partially covered by three or four graphene layers. These Co-Fe@(N)C samples catalyze the Sabatier CO2 hydrogenation, increasing the activity and CH4 selectivity with the reaction temperature in the range of 300-500 degrees C. Under optimal conditions, a CH4 selectivity of 91% at an 87% CO2 conversion was reached at 500 degrees C and a space velocity of 75 h(-1) under 10 bar. The Co-Fe alloy nanoparticles supported on N-doped graphitic carbon are remarkably stable and behave differently as an analogous Co-Fe catalyst supported on TiO2. Financial support by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and University (Severo Ochoa and RTI2018.98237-B-CO1) and Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo 2017/083) is gratefully acknowledged. L.P. thanks the Generalitat Valenciana for a Santiago Grisolia scholarship, and A.P. thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education for a Ramon y Cajal research associate contract. V.I.P. thanks the UEFISCDI for continued funding through the projects PN-IIIP1-1.2-PCCDI-2017-0541 1/2018, PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-20160088 17/2021, and PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1532. BASF is thanked for the financial support. Jurca, B.; Peng, L.; Primo Arnau, AM.; Gordillo, A.; Parvulescu, VI.; García Gómez, H. (2021). Co-Fe Nanoparticles Wrapped on N-Doped Graphitic Carbons as Highly Selective CO2 Methanation Catalysts. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 13(31):36976-36981. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c05542