The hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol represents a pivotal route for carbon capture and utilization, yet designing catalysts that concurrently achieve high activity and selectivity remains challenging. This work explored the promotional effects of ZrO 2 and CeO 2 on CoIn-based catalysts for the CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol reaction. While both dopants improve catalytic performance, they exert distinct structural and mechanistic roles. ZrO 2 doping primarily enhances CO 2 conversion by facilitating the formate pathway with a reduced energy barrier. In contrast, CeO 2 incorporation enables high and stable methanol yields even under harsh conditions, due to the dual-pathway mechanism involving formate and CO intermediates. The study establishes that targeted doping is a powerful lever for engineering reaction networks in In 2 O 3 catalysts, providing a clear design principle for advancing CO 2 hydrogenation. • Promotional effects of Zr and Ce dopants on CoIn-based catalysts for the CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. • Zr doping primarily enhances CO 2 conversion by facilitating the formate pathway. • Ce incorporation enables high and stable methanol yields.
LI et al. (Wed,) studied this question.