Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide

Neha Rani*1 Parneet Kaur Anurag Jaswal3

1, 2, 3
Department of Chemical Engineering, Chandigarh University, Mohali-
140413, Punjab
Abstract: Owing to the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide, human life and
the environment have been affected by climate changes. The reduction of CO2
concentration in atmosphere has become the global focus. As an economical, safe,
and renewable carbon source, CO2 can be used as a feedstock for producing
chemicals to alleviate global climate. Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2 is a feasible
and powerful process that helps in doing so. The products of hydrogenation like
methanol, dimethyl ether, and hydrocarbons, are excellent fuels in internal
combustion engines; raw materials and intermediates for many chemical
industries and are easy for storage and transportation. Hydrogen sources could be
generated either by using still-existing significant sources of fossil fuels or from
splitting water. Both homogenous and heterogeneous catalysts are being used in
the hydrogenation of CO2. Heterogeneous catalysts are more practical for
industrial applications as compared to homogeneous catalysts. The primary focus
is on how and where CO2 is activated and interacts with hydrogen and/or
hydroxyl species. The catalyst with larger surface area, ultrafine particle, and
higher metal dispersion usually possess higher activity and selectivity, and longer
life. Preparation methods have considerable influences on the nature of the
catalysts leading to the differences in catalytic performance. Energy consumption
can be reduced by the introduction of electrochemical catalysis and solar energy.
Keywords: catalytic hydrogenation; energy; catalysis; green technology;