Synthesis of defect-rich La₂O₂CO₃ supports for enhanced CO₂-to-methanol conversion efficiency

Converting CO₂ to methanol is crucial for addressing fuel scarcity and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Cu-based catalysts, with their diverse surface states, offer the potential to control reaction pathways and generate reactive H* species. However, a major challenge lies in oxidizing active Cu⁰ species by water generated during the catalytic process. While nonreducible metal oxides are beneficial in stabilizing metallic states, their limited capability to generate surface oxygen vacancies (O_V) hinders CO₂ activation. Herein, we present a strategy by doping Nd into a La₂O₂CO₃ (LOC) support, enhancing O_V formation by disrupting its lattice dyadicity. This leads to higher Cu⁰ concentration and improved CO₂ activation. The resulting Cu/LOC:Nd catalyst notably outperforms Cu/LOC and CuZnAl catalysts, achieving a methanol yield of 9.9 moles of methanol per hour per mole of Cu. Our approach opens up possibilities for enhancing Cu-based catalysts in CO₂ conversion.