Synthesis and characterization of novel intermetallic catalysts for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to methanol

Novel Ni5Ga3 and Pd2Ga catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol are prepared by impregnation of aqueous Ni-Ga or Pd-Ga solutions of metal nitrates into high surface area SiO2, followed by drying, calcinations and reduction of the precursor in a H2 flow. Steady state experiments are performed in a reactor at atmospheric pressure and stoichiometric CO2/H2 mixture, while reaction products are analyzed by gas chromatography. The results are compared to the highly optimized Cu/ZnO/Al2O3. The activity and selectivity of the novel catalysts is close to that of Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 and the equilibrium conversion to CH3OH is found to be higher. XRD and XRF are used to investigate the phase and composition of the supported catalysts at the 5 stages of testing, i.e. after drying, calcination, reduction, CO2 hydrogenation, rapid ageing. SEM and TEM images of the exact same locations are acquired after each of the 5 stages to monitor particle formation and investigate particle size and distribution. In the same way, model systems consisting of Ni5Ga3 and Pd2Ga nanoparticles supported directly on a silica membrane of an Au TEM grid are also characterized by SEM and TEM after each of the 5 stages. Nanoparticles formation is observed after calcination. Size distribution analysis reveals that the Pd2Ga nanoparticles have a diameter of 5-10 nm which does not change after reduction, methanol synthesis and rapid ageing. Furthermore, in situ ETEM is used to monitor the development of the materials system during synthesis and reaction.