Atomically dispersed Ptn+ species as highly active sites in Pt/In2O3 catalysts for methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation

Hydrogenation of CO2 into methanol using the H2 produced from renewable energy is a promising way for carbon capture and utilization. Therefore, the methanol synthesis catalysts with high methanol selectivity are highly desired. In this work, we found that the methanol selectivity of In2O3 catalyst can be significantly enhanced by introducing a small amount of Pt. Methanol selectivity can be increased from 72.2% (In2O3) to 91.1% (0.58 wt.% Pt/In2O3) at 220 °C. The introduced Pt atoms are doped into the In2O3, forming atomically dispersed Ptn+ species, most of which are stable under working conditions. It is proposed that the atomically dispersed Ptn+ species are responsible for the enhanced methanol selectivity, while Pt nanoparticles on In2O3 mainly boost the reverse water-gas shift reaction (CO2 + H2 → CO + H2O).