Properties of Cu(thd)2 as a precursor to prepare Cu/SiO2 catalyst using the atomic layer epitaxy technique

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional copper-based catalysts can suffer from particle sintering at high temperatures.
• Developing catalysts with enhanced thermal stability and activity is crucial for industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel Copper/Silicon Dioxide (Cu/SiO2) catalyst using atomic layer epitaxy (ALE).
• To investigate the catalytic properties and thermal stability of the ALE-Cu/SiO2 catalyst for the reverse water-gas-shift reaction.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Cu/SiO2 catalyst via atomic layer epitaxy (ALE).
• Evaluation of catalytic activity for CO2 conversion to CO in the reverse water-gas-shift reaction.
• Assessment of thermal stability and resistance to copper particle sintering at 773 K.

Main Results:

• The ALE-Cu/SiO2 catalyst exhibited high dispersion and nanoscale copper particles.
• ALE-Cu/SiO2 demonstrated strong CO binding and high catalytic activity for CO2 conversion.
• The catalyst showed satisfactory thermal stability, resisting sintering at 773 K.
• Catalytic activity order: 2.4% ALE-Cu/SiO2 = 2% Pt/SiO2 > 2% Pd/SiO2 > 10.3% IM-Cu/SiO2.

Conclusions:

• ALE is an effective method for developing highly dispersed, stable Cu/SiO2 catalysts.
• The nanoscale copper particles in ALE-Cu/SiO2 enhance CO binding and catalytic performance in the RWGS reaction.
• ALE-Cu/SiO2 offers a promising alternative to conventional catalysts for CO2 utilization.