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

Hydrogenation of CO 2 into methanol using the H 2 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 In 2 O 3 catalyst can be significantly enhanced by introducing a small amount of Pt. Methanol selectivity can be increased from 72.2% (In 2 O 3 ) to 91.1% (0.58 wt.% Pt/In 2 O 3 ) at 220 °C. The introduced Pt atoms are doped into the In 2 O 3 , forming atomically dispersed Pt n+ species, most of which are stable under working conditions. It is proposed that the atomically dispersed Pt n+ species are responsible for the enhanced methanol selectivity, while Pt nanoparticles on In 2 O 3 mainly boost the reverse water-gas shift reaction (CO 2  + H 2  → CO + H 2 O).