COVER

正The cover image shows the conversion of CO_2 to various valueadded chemicals through thermo-, electro-and photocatalysis. This special issue of CO_2 reduction features a collection of articles that describe advances in the field of CO_2 utilization relating to catalytic reduction of CO_2 using different catalysts and approaches.     

Fundamentals in CO_2 capture of Na_2CO_3 under a moist condition

Capacity and kinetics of CO_2 capture of Na_2CO_3 were studied to determine the mechanism for CO_2 sequestration under ambient conditions. Bicarbonate formation of Na_2CO_3 was examined by a thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) under various CO_2 and water vapor concentrations and the accompanying structural changes of Na_2CO_3 were demonstrated by X-ray diffraction(XRD). Morphological variations were observed during the reaction of CO_2 capture through scanning electron microscope(SEM). Structural changes and morphological variations, which occurred during the course of the reaction, were then connected to the kinetic and exothermic properties of the CO_2 capture process from the XRD and SEM measurements. The results showed that the bicarbonate formation of Na_2CO_3 has two different pathways.For higher CO_2 and H_2O concentrations, the bicarbonate formation proceeded effectively. However, for lower CO_2 and H_2O concentrations, the reactions were more complicated. The formation of Na_2CO_3·H_2O from Na_2CO_3 as the first step, followed by the subsequent formation of Na_5H_3(CO_3)_4, and then the bicarbonate formation proceeds. To understand such fundamental properties in CO_2 capture of Na_2CO_3 is very important for utilization of Na_2CO_3 as a sorbent for CO_2 capture.     

Preface to Special Issue: CO_2 capture storage and utilization

<正>Reducing the anthropogenic CO_2 emissions from fossil resource combustion and human activities has become one of the major challenges we are facing today.Beyond those practical applications for the utilization of CO_2,such as the synthesis of salicylic acid,methanol,urea,NaHCO_3-Na_2CO_3 chemicals and recently developed polycarbonate synthesis,scientists are still seeking new materials and technologies for efficient capture,     

Recent advances in intermediate-temperature CO2 capture: Materials,technologies and applications

Carbon capture,utilization and storage(CCUS) is widely recognized as a vital strategy for mitigating the impact of human induced climate change.Among various CO₂ adsorbents,intermediate-temperature solid adsorbents have garnered significant attention due to their potential applications in hydrogen utilization,specifically in the water gas shift,steam reforming and gasification processes.These processes are crucial for achieving carbon neutrality.While laboratory-level studies have sho...     

Carbon dioxide catalytic conversion to nano carbon material on the iron–nickel catalysts using CVD-IP method

The over-consumption of fossil fuels resulted in the large quantity emission of carbon dioxide(CO2), which was the main reason for the climate change and more extreme weathers. Hence, it is extremely pressing to explore efficient and sustainable approaches for the carbon-neutral pathway of CO2 utilization and recycling. In our recent works with this context, we developed successfully a novel "chemical vapor deposition integrated process(CVD-IP)" technology to converting robustly CO2 into the value-added solid-form carbon materials.The monometallic Fe Ni0–Al2O3(FNi0) and bimetallic Fe Nix–Al2O3(FNi2, FNi4, FNi8 and FNi20) samples were synthesized and effective for this new approach. The catalyst labeled FNi8 gave the better performance, exhibited the single pass solid carbon yield of 30%. These results illustrated alternative promising cases for the CO2 capture utilization storage(CCUS), by means of the CO2 catalytic conversion into the solid-form nano carbon materials.     

Electroactive species study in the electrochemical reduction of CO_2 in KHCO_3 solution at elevated temperature

Photoelectrochemical and electrochemical reduction of CO_2 into organic chemicals is promising for directly or indirectly transforming solar energy into chemical energy for further utilization. However,research on the electroactive species in these processes has been rather limited. In this work, we investigated possible electroactive species(CO_2 or HCO_3~– ) involved in the electrochemical reduction of KHCO_3 at elevated temperatures without CO_2 bubbling. The results showed that CO, CH_4, and C_2H_4 were produced after electrochemical reduction of 3.0 mol/L KHCO_3 at elevated temperature on a Cu electrode even without CO_2 bubbling, although their faradaic efficiencies were low( 6 %). Measurements for CO_2 generation from the decomposition of HCO_3~– showed that elevated temperature and high HCO_3~– concentration strongly promoted this process. These results suggested that the in-situ produced CO_2 from the decomposition of HCO_3~– was probably the electroactive species in the electrochemical reduction of HCO_3~– without CO_2 bubbling. Changes of the Gibbs free energy, rate constant, and activation energy of the decomposition of HCO_3~– into CO_2 were also investigated and calculated from the experimental data.     

Effect of Titanium on Methanol Synthesis from CO_2 Hydrogenation over Cu/γ-Al_2O_3

Conversion of CO_2 to useful chemicals is widely investigated by many workers from the view point of finding technologies for suppressing the green house effect caused by CO_2 emission. The utilization of industrial Cu/ZnO/Al_2O_3 catalyst, which exhibited a high activity for methanol synthesis from syngas, was not successful1 in CO_2 hydrogenation. Therefore, it is important to synthesize and develop new catalysts with a higher activity and better selectivity to methanol. Recently, great …     

Improving photoreduction of CO_2 with water to CH_4 in a novel concentrated solar reactor

CO_2 photoreduction is an attractive process which allows the storage of solar energy and synthesis of solar fuels. Many different photocatalytic systems have been developed, while the alternative photo-reactors are still insufficiently investigated. In this work, photoreduction of CO_2 with H_2O into CH_4 was investigated in a modified concentrating solar reactor, using TiO_2 and Pt/TiO_2 as the catalysts. The TiO_2 and Pt/TiO_2 samples were extensively characterized by different techniques including powder X-ray diffraction(XRD), N_2 adsorption/desorption and UV–vis absorption. The catalytic performance of the TiO_2 and Pt/TiO_2 samples in the gas phase was evaluated under unconcentrated and concentrated Xe-lamp light and nature solar light with different concentrating ratios. Various parameters of the reaction system and the catalysts were investigated and optimized to maximize the catalytic performance of CO_2 reduction system. Compared with the normal light irradiation, the TiO_2 and Pt/TiO_2 samples show higher photocatalytic activity(about 6–7 times) for reducing CO_2 into CH_4 under concentrated Xe-lamp light and nature solar light. In the range of experimental light intensity, it is found that the concentration of the light makes it suitable for the catalytic reaction, and increases the utilization efficiency of the TiO_2 and Pt/TiO_2 samples while does not decrease the quantum efficiency.     

Direct and highly selective conversion of CO_2 into gasoline fuels over a bifunctional catalyst

正CO_2 is an economical,nontoxic,renewable and abundant carbon source.The chemical utilization of CO_2 into value-added products is very attractive because it can not only alleviate the global warming caused by increasing atmospheric CO_2concentration,but also offer a solution to replace dwindling fossil fuels[1].Thus,much attention has been paid to the     

Identification of relevant active sites and a mechanism study for reverse water gas shift reaction over Pt/CeO_2 catalysts

Reverse water gas shift(RWGS) reaction can serve as a pivotal stage in the CO_2 conversion processes,which is vital for the utilization of CO_2.In this study,RWGS reaction was performed over Pt/CeO_2 catalysts at the temperature range of 200-500℃ under ambient pressure.Compared with pure CeO_2,Pt/CeO_2catalysts exhibited superior RWGS activity at lower reaction temperature.Meanwhile,the calculated TOF and E_a values are approximately the same over these Pt/CeO_2 catalysts pretreated under various calcination conditions,indicating that the RWGS reaction is not affected by the morphologies of anchored Pt nanoparticles or the primary crystallinity of CeO_2.TPR and XPS results indicated that the incorporation of Pt promoted the reducibility of CeO_2 support and remarkably increased the content of Ce~(3+) sites on the catalyst surface.Furthermore,the CO TPSR-MS signal under the condition of pure CO_2 flow over Pt/CeO_2catalyst is far lower than that under the condition of adsorbed CO_2 with H_2-assisted flow,revealing that CO_2 molecules adsorbed on Ce~(3+) active sites have difficult in generating CO directly.Meanwhile,the adsorbed CO_2 with the assistance of H_2 can form formate species easily over Ce~(3+) active sites and then decompose into Ce~(3+)-CO species for CO production,which was identified by in-situ FTIR.     

Influence of the Feed Gas Composition on the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis in Commercial Operations

Key technical challenges relating to the Fischer-Tropsch(F-T)synthesis applied in the commer- cialization of coal/gas-to-liquids(CTL/GTL)technolo- gies have been reviewed.Based on the experiences ac- cumulated from pilot plant,semi-work test and lab re- searches,the influences of the H_2/CO ratio and the CO_2 in the feed gas on the F-T process as well as on CTL/GTL complex in terms of product yields,energy efficiency and carbon utilization efficiency have been studied.Being contrary to the current design schemes for F-T process using the coat derived syngas and the iron-based cata- lyst,it is suggested to feed the F-T synthesis unit with a syngas having a H_2/CO ratio of 0.5 and then adjusting to 1.4 via the recycling process.As a result,the carbon efficiency of the whole plant could be reached to as high as 50%.For the issue of CO_2 addition to the feed gas, it is proved that only a diluting role is played under the current commercial slurry phase F-T process.     

Journal of Energy Chemistry

正Be the only journal dedicated to coverage all aspects of chemical processes in energy researchScopes·Hydrogen energy·Optimized utilization of fossil energy·Electrochemical energy·CO_2 capture and storage·Materials and nanotechnologies related to energy·Biomass conversion·Utilization of solar energy     

Enhancing cathode performance for CO_2 electrolysis with Ce_(0.9)M_(0.1)O_(2-δ)(M=Fe,Co, Ni) catalysts in solid oxide electrolysis cell

Electrochemical conversion with solid oxide electrolysis cells is a promising technology for CO_2 utilization and simultaneously store renewable energy. In this work, Ce_(0.9)M_(0.1)O_(2-δ)(CeM, M=Fe, Co, Ni) catalysts are infiltrated into La_(0.6) Sr_(0.4) Cr_(0.5_ Fe_(0.5) O_(3-δ)–Gd_(0.2) Ce_(0.8) O_(2-δ)(LSCr Fe-GDC) cathode to enhance the electrochemical performance for CO2 electrolysis. Ce Co-LSCr Fe-GDC cell obtains the best performance with a current density of 0.652 A cm-2, followed by Ce Fe-LSCr Fe-GDC and Ce Ni-LSCr Fe-GDC cells with the value of 0.603 and 0.535 A cm~(-2), respectively, about 2.44, 2.26 and 2.01 times higher than that of the LSCr Fe-GDC cell at1.5 V and 800 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectra combined with distributions of relaxed times analysis shows that both CO_2 adsorption process and the dissociation of CO_2 at triple phase boundaries are accelerated by Ce M catalysts, while the latter is the key rate-determining step.     

Chlorophyll sensitized BiVO4 as photoanode for solar water splitting and CO2 conversion

Converting solar energy into valuable hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels through photoelectrocatalytic water splitting and CO_2 reduction is highly promising in addressing the growing demand for renewable and clean energy resources. However, the solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency is still very low due to limited light absorption and rapid bulk recombination of charge carriers. In this work, we present chlorophyll(Chl) and its derivative sodium copper chlorophyllin(ChlCuNa), as dye sensitizers, modified BiVO_4 to improve the photoelectrochemical(PEC) performance. The photocurrent of BiVO_4 is surprisingly decreased after a direct sensitization of Chl while the sensitization of ChlCuNa obviously enhances photocurrent of BiV04 electrodes by improved surface hydrophilicity and extended light absorption.ChlCuNa-sensitized BiV04 achieves an improved H_2 evolution rate of 5.43 μmol h~(-1) cm~(-2) in water splitting and an enhanced HCOOH production rate of 2.15 μmol h~(-1) cm~(-2) in CO_2 PEC reduction, which are1.9 times and 2.4 times higher than pristine BiVO_4, respectively. It is suggested that the derivative ChlCuNa is a more effective sensitizer for solar-to-fuel energy conversion and CO_2 utilization than Chl.     

Journal of Energy Chemistry

正Be the only journal dedicated to coverage all aspects of chemical processes in energy research Scopes·Hydrogen energy·Optimized utilization of fossil energy·Electrochemical energy·CO_2 capture and storage·Materials and nanotechnologies related to energy·Biomass conversion·Utilization of solar energy     

3D macropore carbon-vacancy g-C3N4 constructed using polymethylmethacrylate spheres for enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution and CO2 reduction

Metal-free g-C_3N_4 is widely used in photocatalytic reactions owing to its suitable band structure.However, it has low specific surface area and insufficient absorbance for visible light, and its photoexcited carriers have high recombination rates. In this study, the 3 D macropore C-vacancy g-C_3N_4 was prepared through a facile one-step route. Polymethylmethacrylate is used as a template to increase the surface reaction sites of g-C_3N_4 and extend its visible-light range. Compared to unmodified g-C_3N_4, the H2 production and CO_2 reduction rates of the fabricated g-C_3N_4 significantly improved. The special pore structure significantly improved the light utilization efficiency of g-C_3N_4 and increased the number of surface-active sites. The introduction of C-vacancy extended the absorption band of visible-light and suppressed the carrier recombination. The newly developed synthesis strategy can improve solar energy conversion efficiency and potentially modifies g-C_3N_4.     

A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO P_(co_2) EVOLUTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE BASED ON ASSOCIATIONS OF SEDIMENTARY MINERALS

Based on the theory of pH evolution of sea water and the balance between the seawater and the atmosphere the authors discussed the problems about (i) the method ofcalculating P_(CO_2) in the ancient atmosphere with the associations of sedimentary miner-als; (ii) the evolution of P_(CO_2) values in the geologic history; (iii) the relations of thepH evolution of sea water with carbonate precipitations; and (iv) calculation of the pHlimit for some associations of sedimentary minerals and its corresponding P_(CO_2) valuesin the atmosphere. The authors pointed out that though carbonates had deposited little in the Archaean,the content of CO_2 gas in the Archaean atmosphere was very high and was gradually go-ing up to form a thick CO_2 atmosphere. Up to 2600 Ma ago, the P_(CO_2) had reached a gradeof 10- 50 atm. There was a general trend of evolution that from the early Proterozoicera to the present the depositional horizon of carbonate layers was gradually risingand finally surpassed the horizons of clay min     

Lewis base-CO_2 adducts as organocatalysts for CO_2 transformation

In the recent decade, the development and application of organocatalysis for CO_2 transformation into useful chemicals have attracted much attention. Among these organocatalysts, Lewis base-CO_2 adducts(LB-CO_2) were found to be more efficient.The used Lewis base has great effect on the catalytic activity of its CO_2 adduct. This review reports the recent progress in LB-CO_2 adducts catalyzed the cyclization of CO_2 with epoxides or aziridines to afford cyclic carbonates or oxazolidinones,the carboxylation of CO_2 with propargylic alcohols to α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates, and the reduction of CO_2 to methanol,formamides and methylamines, with the focus on the catalytic mechanism.     

Preparation of CO_2 selective composite membranes using Pebax/CuBTC/PEG-ran-PPG ternary system

Three phase Pebax~? MH 1657/PEG-ran-PPG/CuBTC(polymer/liquid/solid) was successfully deposited as a selective layer on a porous Polysulfone(PSF) support. In fact, the beneficial properties of PEG(high selectivity) with those of PPG(high permeability, amorphous) have been combined with superior properties of mixed matrix membrane(MMMs). The membranes were characterized by DSC, TGA and SEM, while CuBTC was characterized by CO_2 and CH_4adsorption test. Statistically based experimental design(central composite design, CCD) was applied to analyze and optimize the effect of PEG-ran-PPG(10–50 wt%) and CuBTC(0–20 wt%) mass contents on the CO_2 permeance and CO_2/CH_4 ideal selectivity. Based on the regression coefficients of the obtained models, the CO_2 permeance was notably influenced by PEG-ran-PPG,while CuBTC has the most significant effect on the CO_2/CH_4 ideal selectivity. Under the optimum conditions(PEG-ran-PPG: 32.76 wt% and CuBTC: 20 wt%), nearly 620% increase in the CO_2 permeance and43% enhancement in the CO_2/CH_4 ideal selectivity was observed compared to the neat Pebax. The effect of pressure(3, 9 and 15 bar) on the pure and mixed gas separation performance of the composite membranes was also investigated. The high solubility of CO_2 in the membranes resulted in the enhancement of CO_2 permeability with increase in gas pressure.     

Separation of CO_2–N_2 using zeolite NaKA with high selectivity

The adsorption method based on solid adsorbents is one of feasible ways to capture and store CO_2. Using the ion exchange method, different zeolites Na KA varying in K+content were produced. The adsorption isotherms and kinetic uptakes were measured. The experimental results show that the optimal NaKA could adsorb significant quantities of CO_2 and little N_2. On the zeolite Na KA with 14.7 at.% K+, the adsorption capacity for pure CO_2 is over 3.10 mmol g~(-1) and the CO_2–N_2 selectivity is about 149 at ambient pressure and temperature. The kinetic CO_2–N_2 selectivity could also achieved 200 within 3 min according to the uptake data. To demonstrate the separation effectiveness, breakthrough curves of pure components and binary mixtures were investigated experimentally and theoretically in a fixed bed. It is found that the breakthrough points of CO_2 and N_2 are almost at the same time under the atmospheric pressure at 348 K with the raw gas composition CO_2/N_2(20:80, v/v). If the pressure has been increased higher than 0.1 MPa, CO_2 would break through the bed much slower than N_2. Therefore, the pressure may become the limiting factor for the separation performance of zeolites NaKA.