Incorporating Indium Oxide into Microplasma Reactor for CO₂ Conversion to Methanol

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• Addressing global climate change necessitates clean carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion.
• Current methods often rely on hydrogen (H2) pyrolysis, but using water (H2O) as a proton source is more sustainable.
• Developing efficient CO2 conversion technologies is crucial for energy transformation and resource utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and sustainable method for CO2 conversion using H2O as a proton source.
• To achieve high selectivity and production rates for methanol synthesis.
• To provide a green route for CO2 emission reduction and resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• A microplasma discharge method driven by electricity was developed for CO2 conversion with H2O.
• The microplasma integrated high energy density discharge plasma with microchannel reaction spaces.
• Indium oxide (In2O3) was combined with microplasma and its structure was optimized.

Main Results:

• The microplasma method achieved rapid conversion of CO2 and water with high selectivity for methanol production.
• Optimizing In2O3 with microplasma improved methanol production selectivity to 86.66%.
• The methanol production rate reached 72.64 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, surpassing other clean energy-driven conversion technologies.

Conclusions:

• The developed microplasma discharge method offers a green and efficient route for CO2 conversion using H2O.
• This technology provides a promising approach for CO2 emission reduction and resource utilization.
• The high methanol selectivity and production rate highlight the potential of this method for sustainable energy solutions.