Recent Advances in Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation to Methanol via Heterogeneous Catalysis

Chemical Reviews · 2020 · 1489 citations

• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Biochemical engineering

OH via heterogeneous catalysis has attracted great attention in the past decades. Major progress has been made in the development of various catalysts including metals, metal oxides, and intermetallic compounds. In addition, efforts are also put forth to define catalyst structures in nanoscale by taking advantage of nanostructured materials, which enables the tuning of the catalyst composition and modulation of surface structures and potentially endows more promising catalytic performance in comparison to the bulk materials prepared by traditional methods. Despite these achievements, significant challenges still exist in developing robust catalysts with good catalytic performance and long-term stability. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in this area, especially focusing on structure-activity relationship, as well as the importance of combining catalytic measurements, in situ characterization, and theoretical studies in understanding reaction mechanisms and identifying key descriptors for designing improved catalysts.

N2 Fixation by Plasma-Activated Processes

Joule · 2020 · 300 citations

• Natural resource economics
• Environmental economics
• Environmental science

Selective electroreduction of CO2 to acetone by single copper atoms anchored on N-doped porous carbon

Nature Communications · 2020 · 449 citations

• Materials science
• Inorganic chemistry
• Chemistry

to multi-carbon products.

Using nature’s blueprint to expand catalysis with Earth-abundant metals

Science · 2020 · 562 citations

• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science

Numerous redox transformations that are essential to life are catalyzed by metalloenzymes that feature Earth-abundant metals. In contrast, platinum-group metals have been the cornerstone of many industrial catalytic reactions for decades, providing high activity, thermal stability, and tolerance to chemical poisons. We assert that nature's blueprint provides the fundamental principles for vastly expanding the use of abundant metals in catalysis. We highlight the key physical properties of abundant metals that distinguish them from precious metals, and we look to nature to understand how the inherent attributes of abundant metals can be embraced to produce highly efficient catalysts for reactions crucial to the sustainable production and transformation of fuels and chemicals.