A bimetallic Ni-Co catalyst achieved 46% methanol selectivity and 24% CO2<\/sub> conversion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bimetallic sites promote the rate-determining step in H-radical-induced pathways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This work represents a significant advancement in sustainable CO2<\/sub> conversion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Chemical transformation of CO2<\/sub> into valuable fuels and chemicals will become a key element of a sustainable net-zero economy. Catalytic CO2<\/sub> hydrogenation to methanol is a promising route for CO2<\/sub> conversion. However, this reaction, using thermal catalysis, requires high pressures and temperatures, resulting in low CO2<\/sub> conversion and methanol yield. Non-thermal plasma, an ionized gas containing a mixture of energetic electrons and reactive species, can activate strong chemical bonds of inert molecules (e.g., CO2<\/sub>) and initiate chemical reactions under mild conditions. Here, we report a promising plasma-catalytic process for CO2<\/sub> hydrogenation to methanol at 35\u00b0C and 0.1 MPa. The engineered bimetallic Ni-Co catalyst achieves impressive performance, with 46% selectivity for methanol and 24% CO2<\/sub> conversion under ambient conditions. This work demonstrates the significant potential of plasma catalysis for flexible and decentralized CO2<\/sub> conversion and fuel production using renewable energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plasma catalysis offers a flexible and decentralized solution for CO2<\/sub> hydrogenation to methanol under ambient conditions, avoiding the high temperatures and pressures required for thermal catalysis. However, the reaction mechanism, particularly plasma-assisted surface reactions, remains unclear, limiting the development of efficient catalysts for selective methanol synthesis. Here, we report a bimetallic Ni-Co catalyst effective in plasma-catalytic CO2<\/sub> hydrogenation to methanol at 35\u00b0C and 0.1 MPa, achieving 46% methanol selectivity and 24% CO2<\/sub> conversion. In situ<\/em> plasma-coupled Fourier transform infrared characterization, along with density functional theory calculations, reveals that the engineered bimetallic sites act as primary active centers for methanol synthesis, promoting the rate-determining step in H-radical-induced reaction pathways by reducing steric hindrance effects. This work demonstrates the significant potential of bimetallic catalysts in plasma-catalytic CO2<\/sub> hydrogenation to methanol under ambient conditions, representing a major step toward sustainable CO2<\/sub> conversion and fuel production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/08\/fx1_lrg.jpg\")
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