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. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):38-47.
doi: 10.1039/d4ra07964g.

Study of supported heteropolyacid catalysts for one-step DME synthesis from CO2 and H2

Anne Wesner  1 , Nick Herrmann  1 , Lasse Prawitt  1 , Angela Ortmann  1 , Jakob Albert  1 , Maximilian J Poller  1
Affiliations

Study of supported heteropolyacid catalysts for one-step DME synthesis from CO2 and H2

Anne Wesner et al. RSC Adv. .

Abstract

Dimethyl ether (DME) is a versatile molecule, gaining increasing interest as a viable hydrogen and energy storage solution, pivotal for the transitioning from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly and sustainable energy supply. This research explores a novel approach for the direct conversion of CO2 to DME in a fixed-bed reactor, combining the Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 methanol synthesis catalyst with supported heteropolyacids (HPAs). First, various HPAs, both commercially available and custom-synthesized, were immobilized on Montmorillonite K10. Using a wet impregnation procedure an almost ideal mono-layer of HPA on the support was achieved. The catalysts were further evaluated for their efficiency in direct synthesis of DME from CO2/H2 in combination with the Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst. Among the catalysts tested, tungstosilicic acid (HSiW) supported on K10 exhibited the most promising performance, achieving a DME yield (Y DME) of 7.06% and a molar productivity (P mol) of 77.84 molDME molHPA -1 h-1. In a subsequent step, further tests using HSiW on various support materials identified ZrO2 as the most effective support, increasing the molar productivity to 125.44 molDME molHPA -1 h-1, while maintaining the DME yield. The results highlight the potential of applying HPA-based catalysts for sustainable DME synthesis directly from CO2, emphasizing the critical role of the catalyst support for optimizing catalytic performance.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Exemplary SEM EDX-mapping of HSiW supported on K10.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Exemplary IR spectra (left) and XRD (right) of pure HSiW (red line), HSiW supported on K10 (black line) and pure K10 (blue line).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. NH3-TPD analysis of HPAs supported on K10, normalized to mass of catalyst (left) and normalized to molar mass of supported HPA (right).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Yield of DME YDME and productivity Pmass of HPAs supported on K10. Reaction conditions: T = 250 °C, p = 50 bar, H2/CO2 3/1, GHSV = 10 000 h−1.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Productivity Pmol of HPAs supported on K10. Reaction conditions: T = 250 °C, p = 50 bar, H2/CO2 3/1, GHSV = 10 000 h−1.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. Yield of DME YDME and productivity Pmass of HSiW on different supports. Reaction conditions: T = 250 °C, p = 50 bar, H2/CO2 3/1, GHSV = 10 000 h−1.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7. Productivity Pmol of HSiW on different supports. Reaction conditions: T = 250 °C, p = 50 bar, H2/CO2 3/1, GHSV = 10 000 h−1.
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