Conversion of CO2 through Heterogeneous Catalysis

Rising atmospheric concentration of CO₂ is forecasted to have potentially disastrous effects on the global climate changes and ocean acidification.  A catalytic process that utilizes CO₂ as a feedstock to make methanol, carbon monoxide, or methane is potentially more desirable than sequestration.  In the current talk we will describe our recent results of CO₂ conversion through heterogeneous catalysis, using approaches involving parallel efforts in density functional theory (DFT) calculations, surface science experiments on model systems, synthesis and evaluation of supported catalysts, and in-situ characterization of catalysts under reaction conditions.   We will compare three examples for the catalytic conversion of CO₂, to methanol over Cu-based oxides, to methane over bimetallic alloys, and to CO over metal carbides.  We will discuss general trends, challenges and opportunities for the catalytic conversion of CO₂.