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Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Versatile CO2 Transformations into Complex Products: A One-pot Two-step Strategy
Published on: November 9, 2019
Dual-engine-driven realizing high-yield synthesis of Para-Xylene directly from CO2-containing syngas
Xuemei Wu1,2,3, Chengwei Wang1, Shengying Zhao2,3
1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, University of Toyama, Gofuku 3190, Toyama, Japan.
Abstract:
The direct synthesis of light aromatics, especially para-xylene (p-X), from syngas/CO2 is drawing strong interest, but improving the space-time yield (STY) of p-X is a significant challenge. Here, a dynamic "dual-engine-driven" (DED) catalytic system is designed by combining two partners of ZnCr and FeMn (named "dual-engine") with Z5@SiO2 capsule zeolite. The DED catalyst of 1.0%FeMn&[ZnCr&Z5@SiO2] shows an extremely higher p-X STY of 36.1 gp-x·kgcat-1·h-1, about eight times higher than that of [ZnCr&Z5]. DED manipulates ZnCr engine for methanol formation and drives FeMn engine for light olefins generation together, and then the formed methanol and light olefins are coordinately converted in situ into p-X-rich aromatics over Z5@SiO2. The DED model boosts the driving force for syngas/CO2 conversion, simultaneously concerting the cooperation of "dual-engine" for p-X generation, resulting in extremely high STY of p-X. This study achieves non-petroleum p-X production at industrial-relevant level and advances knowledge in designing innovative heterogeneous catalysts.
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