Nanoscale Confinement of Indium Oxide for Enhanced CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

Research on CO 2 hydrogenation catalysts, particularly In 2 O 3 -based materials, is crucial for developing sustainable CO 2 utilization and chemical production technologies, contributing to a cleaner future. We address the critical challenge of efficient and stable CO 2 conversion by developing a novel Zr-doping strategy to enhance In 2 O 3 catalyst performance for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. Our key contribution is identifying the nanoscale confinement effect as crucial for optimizing both the activity and stability of In 2 O 3 catalysts. By leveraging this nanoscale confinement effect, we have precisely controlled the size, dispersion, and reducibility of In 2 O 3 nanoparticles, resulting in the formation and stabilization of highly active In 2 O 3– x with oxygen vacancies. This confinement also effectively suppresses In 0 migration and sintering, dramatically improving catalyst stability. The resulting Zr-doped catalysts exhibit significantly higher activity and stability compared to the undoped In 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 catalyst, achieving a remarkable space-time yield of 4.708 g MeOH g In –1 h –1 and demonstrating durability under industrially relevant conditions. This discovery offers a promising new direction for the rational design of high-performance CO 2 hydrogenation catalysts and lays the foundation for future advances in sustainable catalysis.