Highly dispersed Cd cluster supported on TiO2 as an efficient catalyst for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol

The conversion of CO2 to methanol with high activity and high selectivity remains challenging owing to the kinetic and thermodynamic limitations associated with the low chemical reactivity exhibited by CO2. Herein, we report a novel Cd/TiO2 catalyst exhibiting a methanol selectivity of 81%, a CO2 conversion of 15.8%, and a CH4 selectivity below 0.7%. A combination of experimental and computational studies revealed that the unique electronic properties exhibited by the Cd clusters supported by the TiO2 matrix were responsible for the high selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol via the HCOO* pathway at the interfacial catalytic sites.