High Performance Tunable Catalysts Prepared by Using 3D Printing

Honeycomb monoliths are the preferred supports in many industrial heterogeneous catalysis reactions, but current extrusion synthesis only allows obtaining parallel channels. Here, we demonstrate that 3D printing opens new design possibilities that outperform conventional catalysts. High performance carbon integral monoliths have been prepared with a complex network of interconnected channels and have been tested for carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methane after loading a Ni/CeO2 active phase. CO2 methanation rate is enhanced by 25% at 300 °C because the novel design forces turbulent flow into the channels network. The methodology and monoliths developed can be applied to other heterogeneous catalysis reactions, and open new synthesis options based on 3D printing to manufacture tailored heterogeneous catalysts.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project CTQ2015-67597-C2-2-R) and Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Project PID2019-105960RB-C22), the University of Alicante (Project GRE18-01A), Generalitat Valenciana (Projects PROMETEO/2018/076 and GV/2020/075, grants GRISOLIAP/2017/177 and BEFPI/2019/037 and contract APOSTD/2019/030), Junta de Andalucía (Project P18-RTJ-2974) and the UE (FEDER funding)