Research Projects

CO2 methanation is one of the promising pathways to mitigate industrial (notably Steel, Cement) CO2 emissions by converting into value-added feedstock (methane) and by addressing both energy and environmental challenges. Despite its potential, there are still challenges with highly thermodynamically stable CO2 activation, which can be addressed through efficient catalyst design and understanding the reaction mechanism over the catalyst surface. Although diverse reducible and non-reducible supports-based catalysts ( Active metals: Ni, Ru, Pt, Rh, Co, Fe; oxides and mixed-oxide supports: Al2O3, CeO2, ZrO2, SiO2, MgO) have been investigated, challenges have remained at commercial production due to factors like inadequate conversion, poor selectivity, energy efficiency and scalability. Therefore, the challenges associated with traditional support-based catalysts encourage the investigation of structured materials such as perovskite, which ensure thermal stability, strong metal support interaction and proper active metal dispersion. Perovskite-based materials with their unique features, like thermal stability, significant oxygen mobility, and reducibility, offer promising pathways to improve the CO2 conversion by facilitating CO2 adsorption and H2 activation. Moreover, tailoring perovskite catalysts with active metals and promoters at the A-site/ B-site by various synthetic routes improves activity, selectivity, and stability of the catalyst. One of the objectives of this project is to develop active metal-supported perovskite catalysts using solution combustion synthesis and hydrothermal techniques. In addition, the catalysts are tailored through integrated synthetic routes like solution combustion-impregnation to enhance methanation reaction under mild feed conditions. Formation of intermediate and reaction mechanisms is indeed influenced by support’s properties such as reducibility, acidity, basicity and surface area. Understanding catalyst properties, such as the relationship between structure and catalytic properties, and the reaction mechanism over engineered perovskite-based materials through in situ FTIR, TPR/TPD, and DFT investigations, enables the design of a rational industrial-scale catalyst. Therefore, another objective of this work is to elucidate CO2 methanation reaction pathways over engineered perovskite catalysts using integrated theoretical DFT studies and experimental insights. Further, the scale-up feasibility is evaluated using Aspen Plus simulations for steel and cement industrial applications. Overall, the project aims to develop robust, tailored perovskite material through understanding the reaction mechanism and kinetics to enhance CO2 conversion into methane at industrial scale applications.