Integrated CO2 capture and conversion to CO over Ni-Ca/SBA-15 bifunctional materials

Integrated CO 2 capture and utilization (ICCU) technology, based on the combination of active metals and adsorbent, is a promising strategy for efficiently reducing CO 2 emissions and converting captured CO 2 into value-added chemicals. Herein, Ni, Cu, or Ce was incorporated on Ca-loaded SBA-15 mesoporous silica for integrated CO 2 capture and conversion to CO, and the metallic Ni greatly enhances surface hydrogen spillover, promoting the formation of smaller CaO nanoparticles from CaCO 3 via hydrogen-assisted decomposition at a reduced temperature (∼550 °C) and thereby improving CO 2 uptake capability compared to conventional thermal decomposition methods. Moreover, the 10-cycle ICCU process achieved nearly 60% conversion of the captured CO 2 with 80% CO selectivity at 550 °C. Besides, in-situ DRIFT spectra reveal the integrated CO 2 capture and conversion mechanism and the differences in hydrogenated products between capture and conversion stages. This incorporation of active metals and CaO nanoparticles into SBA-15 provides useful perspectives into the development of materials to achieve carbon neutrality targets.