Selective Conversion of CO₂ into Cyclic Carbonate on Atom Level Catalysts

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) to organic carbonates under ambient conditions remains a significant challenge.
• Zerovalent atomic catalysts (ACs) offer precise structural and electronic control for catalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and selective method for CO2 fixation using novel atomic catalysts.
• To synthesize and evaluate zerovalent cobalt atomic catalysts supported on graphdiyne (Co0/GDY).

Main Methods:

• A general preadsorption-reduction strategy was employed to synthesize Co0/GDY ACs.
• The catalytic performance of Co0/GDY was assessed for CO2 fixation reactions.

Main Results:

• Co0/GDY ACs achieved nearly 100% conversion of CO2 at 80 °C and 1 atm.
• The catalyst demonstrated a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 3024.8 h-1, significantly outperforming benchmarks.
• High selectivity in CO2 fixation was observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed Co0/GDY ACs represent a highly efficient and selective catalytic system for CO2 fixation.
• This work highlights the potential of emerging atomic catalysts for sustainable chemical transformations.