Development of Embryonic Zeolites for Efficient Conversion of CO2 to Dimethyl Ether and Light Olefins – DEZECO

CO2 hydrogenation is an attractive opportunity to address the greenhouse effect by synthesizing renewable fuels like dimethyl ether (DME) and basic chemicals like light olefins. The bifunctional catalysts for these reactions are usually based on zeolites mixed with metal or metal oxide to transform CO2 through intermediate methanol formation. Crystalline microporous zeolites induce strong transport limitations between metal and acid sites leading to low productivity, while the strong acid sites of zeolite generate side products. Within the present project, the downside of using zeolite will be overcome by employing embryonic zeolites of ultra-small size (3-5 nm), tunable acid sites strength and porosity, which will be combined with a metal function to build up a composite catalyst. The composite catalysts application will provide the highly efficient transformation of CO2 to DME and light olefins due to close cooperation and synergy between metal and acid sites with the acidity corresponding to a specific reaction.