Synthesis of a Cu-infiltrated Zr-doped SBA-15 catalyst for CO₂ hydrogenation into methanol and dimethyl ether

A catalytically active nanoassembly comprising Cu-nanoparticles grown on integrated and active supports (large pore Zr-doped mesoporous SBA-15 silica) has been synthesized and used to promote CO₂ hydrogenation. The doped mesoporous material was synthesized using a sol-gel method, in which the pore size was tuned between 11 and 15 nm while maintaining a specific surface area of about 700 m² g^-1. The subsequent Cu nanoparticle growth was achieved by an infiltration process involving attachment of different functional groups on the external and internal surfaces of the mesoporous structure such that 7-10 nm sized Cu nanoparticles grew preferentially inside the pores. Chemisorption showed improved absorption of both CO₂ and H₂ for the assembly compared to pure SBA-15 and 15% of the total CO₂ was converted to methanol and dimethyl ether at 250 °C and 33 bar.