Catalysts for carbon dioxide conversion using carbon nanotube supports

Efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are wide ranging, but should we be considering carbon dioxide as a resource not a waste. The benefits of a process which can take carbon dioxide and convert it into a valuable chemical product would make the economics of carbon dioxide removal much more viable.

One widely used method is the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, leading to a wide variety of possible products. By modifying and controlling the properties of iron nanoparticles catalysts the product distribution can be tuned to selectively produce commercial chemical products with a high potential value. This is done on a variety of supports including carbon nanotubes which have shown promise for this reaction.

The use of carbon nanotube powders in industry is problematic; a more structured support would be preferred. A new method has been developed which produces an array of aligned carbon nanotubes on the surface of a monolithic support, with varying thickness depending on synthesis conditions. The resulting composite can be used as a catalyst support, with the catalytic properties of carbon nanotubes whilst also being suitable for industrial use, giving the potential for the catalytic technology to be scaled up to the levels necessary to impact carbon dioxide emissions.