Research Mechanism Progress on the Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to Low-Carbon Olefins

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, PR China

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Abstract

This paper systematically reviews the reaction mechanism and research progress of catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide to prepare low-carbon olefins (ethylene, propylene, butene). Two main technical paths were analyzed emphatically: The direct hydrogenation path based on CO intermediates (CO₂-FTS) is limited by the Andersons-Schulz-Flory distribution, and the theoretical value of olefin selectivity is relatively low; Although the indirect pathway based on methanol intermediates (CO2-MTO) can break through this limitation, there are problems such as poor matching of reaction conditions and easy deactivation of the catalyst. Studies have shown that iron-based catalysts can achieve a low-carbon olefin selectivity of 72% through the regulation of the Fe5C2 active phase and modification with alkali metal additives. Tandem catalysts such as ZnZrOₓ@SAPO-34 significantly enhance reaction efficiency through structural optimization. At present, this technology still faces challenges such as difficult selective control and insufficient catalyst stability. In the future, it is necessary to promote its industrial application through strategies such as precise active site design, suppression of deactivation mechanisms, and green hydrogen coupling, providing key technical support for achieving the "dual carbon" goals.