CO2Fuels - Direct Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Renewable Fuels

Fossil-derived liquid fuels have dominated the aviation and motor transport industry due to their high energy density and ease of manipulation. However, ever-growing concerns over CO2 emissions and improving battery technology are leading to rapid changes in energy sources for motor transportation. Consequently, the UK government, like many others, has announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035. Unfortunately, batteries cannot be deployed for commercial aviation due to the low power to weight density of current battery technology. Developing carbon neutral aviation fuel through CO2 hydrogenation, where H2 is derived from water electrolysis, is a priority for the aviation industry and UKRI (https://ktn-uk.org/transport/sustainable-aviation/). Recent reports show that intimate combinations of zeolite catalysts with zinc-based hydrogenation catalysts produces a multifunctional material that can hydrogenate CO2 to liquid range fuels (e.g. Nat. Commun., 2017, 8, 15174; ACS Cent. Sci., 2020, 6, 1657). Early work has shown that macroscopic control of the catalyst composite can tune the product range to different fuel types (gasoline vs jet fuel). However, much less is known about how the speciation and microscopic intimacy of the catalyst components affects product selectivity. Using our knowledge and control of zinc speciation in modified zeolites (Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2021, 5, 2136 and ChemPhysChem, 2020, 21, 673) we will develop structure-function activity relationships that will enable rational catalyst design to target sustainable jet fuel. The multifunctional catalysts will be made solely from earth abundant, non-toxic elements (Al, Si, Zn, Fe, Cu) and enable a circular aviation fuel economy.