Rational Design of Catalysts with Spinel Nanostructures for Thermal-Driven C1 Conversion

The oriented conversion of C1 molecules including CO, CO2, CH4, and CH3OH has received great attention in the past few decades because of its essential role in sustainable chemistry. Spinel oxides with fine hardness, great thermal stability, and tunable chemical properties are advantageous catalysts or precursors in the activation of inert C1 molecules for the production of high-value-added chemicals. This review provides a thorough overview of the recent developments in spinel-structured nanocatalysts for the processes of thermal-driven C1 conversion, highlighting the spinel-structured advantages in deriving active metals, stabilizing metal cations, constructing adjacent synergic sites, and tuning oxygen vacancies. Finally, the potential challenges and development directions are discussed for the application of spinel-structured catalysts in thermal-driven C1 conversion reactions.