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Updated: Sep 7, 2026

Evaluation of Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Hydrothermal Carbonization for Bioenergy Production
Published on: June 15, 2014
Steering Heat and Molecules: Directional Freeze-Cast Aerogel Shells Boost Photothermal CO2 Methanation
Fan Yang1, Xia Wang1, Yaozhen Liang1
1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen361005, China.
Abstract:
Developing integrated systems that merge efficient CO2 capture with rapid photothermal catalysis (PTC) remains a formidable challenge in sustainable catalysis. Herein, the developed 3D-microporous chitosan aerogel (CA) encapsulated Ni/ZrO2 catalyst (Ni/ZrO2@CA) not only maximizes photothermal harvesting through multiple light-scattering effects but also provides abundant, atom-dispersed -NH2 sites that function as Lewis basic centers for CO2 capture and activation, forming carbamate intermediates. Under simulated solar irradiation (2400 mW·cm-2), Ni/ZrO2@CA achieved CH4 production rates up to 297.0 mmol·gcat-1·h-1 with 99.8% selectivity, representing up to a 10-16-fold enhancement over pristine Ni/ZrO2. In situ DRIFTS detected carbamate species under reaction conditions, and DFT calculations suggest an NH2-mediated capture-hydrogenation-displacement pathway that may circumvent high-energy barriers associated with direct CO2 activation. This work establishes a new design paradigm in which the organic overlayer acts as a molecular cocatalyst, transforming integrated CO2 capture and utilization into a single photothermal microreactor platform.
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