Recently, Prof. Liu Jian from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at our university, in collaboration with Researcher Sun Jian from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Ye Runping from Nanchang University, published a review article titled "Design of catalysts for selective CO2 hydrogenation" in Nature Synthesis. The paper systematically summarizes the impact of factors such as the chemical state, size, and crystal facet effects of catalyst active centers on regulating the selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation products, and proposes a universal design strategy for CO2 selective hydrogenation catalytic materials.

CO2 catalytic hydrogenation can utilize waste CO2 to synthesize value-added chemicals, including C₁ products (such as carbon monoxide, methane, methanol) and C2+ products (such as olefins, ethanol, gasoline, jet fuel, etc.), with promising industrial application prospects. However, due to the high separation cost of hydrogenation mixture products, achieving high product selectivity is one of the key issues for economic process feasibility. Given the complex reaction network of CO2 hydrogenation and the presence of various active sites on the catalyst surface, product selectivity control remains a challenge.

Building on their previous work on CO/CO2 hydrogenation (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e2023176; Adv. Mater. 2024, 36, 2404046; Nat. Commun. 2023, 14, 7487; Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 2159, etc.) and research on the full industrial chain technology for green hydrogen production, storage, and utilization (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202308091; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202307096; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 16044–16050. Adv. Mater. 2025, 37, 2415269.; National Science Review, 2023, 10, nwad201, etc.), Prof. Liu's team focuses on the key scientific question of how to rationally design catalysts for regulating CO2 hydrogenation product selectivity. They summarized the classical CO2 hydrogenation synthesis reaction pathways, offering insights for the atomic-scale design of catalysts. The paper emphasizes rational design principles for catalysts, including the chemical state, size, crystal phase effects, synergistic effects, and structural properties of catalyst active centers, to regulate CO2 hydrogenation product selectivity. Additionally, it discusses methods for regulating CO2 hydrogenation selectivity from the perspective of catalytic reaction engineering. Finally, the challenges and future outlook for the field are discussed, providing theoretical guidance for the atomic-scale design of efficient hydrogenation catalytic materials and contributing to the development of carbon neutrality.

This research was funded by the National Key R&D Program and the National Natural Science Foundation, among other projects. This achievement marks another significant milestone in our university's ongoing efforts in the field of materials chemistry and provides an important reference for the rational atomic-scale design and application of catalytic materials. By converting industrial CO2 emissions into high-value-added chemicals, this work not only helps achieve the "dual carbon" goals but also aligns deeply with the resource endowment and industrial foundation of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, offering innovative pathways for the green transformation of the local economy.

Paper link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44160-025-00747-1