Design of copper based hybrid catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation

Catalyst design requires a number of experimentation and decision steps from initiating the idea to developing the catalytic processes. CO₂ hydrogenation is limited by thermodynamic constraints in the formation of methanol. This thermodynamic barrier could be mitigated by in-situ transformation of methanol inside the reaction system where the Cu-based hybrid catalysts can be applied to obtain chemical products such as hydrocarbons or oxygenates. The modification of Cu-based catalyst for methanol synthesis, the selection of proper zeolite counterpart, the consideration of different reaction mechanisms, and the medium acidity induced by the solid-solid interaction were discussed by reviewing the information reported, and some guidelines for designing Cu-based hybrid catalysts were proposed for better control of hydrocarbon yield and product distribution.