Metal−Organic Framework-Derived Cu NWs@ZrO2 as a Highly Selective Catalyst for Methanol Synthesis from CO2 Hydrogenation

CO2 hydrogenation is one of the key technologies for carbon recycling and greenhouse effect mitigation. Cu-based catalysts have been widely used in the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. However, the low catalytic efficiency and instability of Cu-based catalysts limit their industrial application. Herein, a Zr-based metal-organic framework was used to synthesize a Cu NWs@ZrO2 catalyst with a Cu-ZrO2 interface. The Cu NWs@ZrO2 catalyst shows high activity with promising selectivity and excellent stability for the synthesis of methanol from CO2 hydrogenation. Density functional theory calculations and in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the CO2 hydrogenation on Cu NWs@ZrO2 followed the HCOO* pathway, and the Cu-ZrO2 interface made a significant contribution to the key intermediate step of CO2 to HCOO* and accelerated the CO2 hydrogenation.