Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH on Supported Cu Nanoparticles Promoted by Isolated TiIV Surface Sites on SiO2

Small and narrowly distributed Cu nanoparticles, supported on SiO2 decorated with isolated TiIV sites, prepared via surface organometallic chemistry, show significantly improved CO2 hydrogenation activity and CH3OH selectivity compared to the corresponding Cu nanoparticles supported on SiO2. We propose that these isolated Lewis acid TiIV sites, evidenced by UV-Vis spectroscopy, stabilize surface intermediates at the interface between Cu nanoparticles and the support.ISSN:1864-564XISSN:1864-563