Vacancy engineering of two-dimensional W2N3 nanosheets for efficient CO2 hydrogenation
Bin Li1, Bo Ma1, Shu-Yan Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Special Function Materials and Structure Design, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China. wjf@lzu.edu.cn.
Nanoscale
|June 29, 2022
Summary
Engineered nitrogen vacancies in 2D topological W2N3 efficiently convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable chemicals. This vacancy engineering approach enhances CO2 hydrogenation catalysis for a sustainable future.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Global consensus on peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality to mitigate climate change.
- Accumulated greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, pose significant environmental threats.
- Need for efficient catalytic methods for CO2 utilization into high-value products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer vacancies in two-dimensional (2D) topological W2N3 for enhanced CO2 hydrogenation.
- To investigate the mechanism of vacancy-controlled CO2 hydrogenation.
- To explore the potential of 2D topological transition metal nitrides in catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Vacancy engineering of 2D topological W2N3.
- Spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-corrected STEM) for structural analysis.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to determine energy barriers for reaction intermediates.
Main Results:
- Confirmation of a high density of nitrogen vacancies on the W2N3 catalyst surface.
- Significant reduction in energy barriers for key intermediates (*CO and *CHO) formation.
- Achieved a maximum CO2 conversion rate of 24% and 23% selectivity for C2+ hydrocarbons.
Conclusions:
- Vacancy engineering is an effective strategy for improving CO2 hydrogenation efficiency.
- The developed catalyst demonstrates superior performance compared to previous studies.
- Highlights the potential of 2D topological transition metal nitrides for catalytic applications.
