Research Projects

The conversion of CO2 to valuable chemicals is a highly focused research area nowadays. During the last few years, significant research work is going on for CO2 capture and its value addition all over the globe. However, among the various CO2 conversion process proposed, the conversion of CO2 to formic acid is innovative and very promising. Formic acid is a valuable commodity chemical and intermediated with high demand. The global demand for formic acid was approximately 710 thousand tonnes in 2021 and it is increasing with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~4.5%. Commercially formic acid is produced via the fossil fuel-derived methanol route. Therefore, direct formic acid production from CO2 is very interesting. The current status for the direct conversion of CO2 to formic acid is still in the early stages of development. The fundamental reaction chemistry of CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid is not well known. The current methods of CO2 hydrogenation suffer from low efficiency and selectivity, which limits their commercial potential. The development of a cost-effective and more efficient process for CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid could help to overcome these challenges and accelerate the commercialization of this technology. This could result in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the development of a sustainable and renewable source of formic acid for industrial applications. In this proposal, we propose the development of a low-cost, and highly selective catalyst and process for the direct conversion of CO2 to formic acid at mild reaction conditions. Initially, the DFT analysis will be performed and new MOFs derived Ni-based catalysts supported with basic oxides will be synthesized by solvothermal technique. MOFs have become a promising family of a porous materials due to their distinctive structural and functional characteristics. Coupling Ni-derived MOFs with basic oxides such as MgO, ZrO2, etc may enhance the acidic CO2 conversion. Hence, an alkaline environment will facilitate the activation of the CO2 molecule. The activity of the catalyst will be evaluated in an autoclave reactor with gaseous hydrogen as a primary source. Further several other hydrogen sources including hydrazine, gas hydride, and alcohols will be developed. The reaction parameter such as temperature, pressure, CO2 to H2 ratio, reaction time, and catalyst amount and types will be optimized to maximize the yield of formic acid. Catalyst separation, reusability, and reaction mechanism study will be performed. Finally, a suitable kinetic model will be developed for the reactor design on a pilot plant scale.