Simultaneously upgrading CO2 and light alkanes into value‐added products

We will discuss recent results from our group in reacting CO2 and light alkanes to produce syngas, olefins, aromatics, and oxygenates. We will mainly use the simultaneous upgrading of CO2 and ethane (SU-CO2Et) as examples to demonstrate the feasibility and reaction pathways of these processes. We will briefly discuss synthesis methods and essential structural characterization techniques that can be applied to SU-CO2Et catalysts. We will then illustrate how to identify and apply distinct active sites for different upgrading processes, using a combination of kinetic studies, in situ characterization, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We will conclude the Perspective by pointing out challenges and potential directions in catalyst design and synthesis, as well as structural characterization and mechanistic investigations, to further advance the simultaneous upgrading of CO2 and light alkanes.