Incorporating Indium Oxide into Microplasma Reactor for CO2 Conversion to Methanol

Abstract

The clean conversion of CO₂ is a strategic issue for addressing global climate change and advancing energy transformation. While the current clean CO₂ conversion is limited to the H₂ pyrolysis process, using H₂O as a proton source is more promising and sustainable. A microplasma discharge method is developed, driven by electricity, and utilized for CO₂ conversion with H₂O. The microplasma integrates the advantages of high energy density in discharge plasma and microchannel reaction spaces, achieving a rapid resource conversion process of CO₂ and water and a high selectivity for methanol production. By further combining In₂O₃ with microplasma and optimizing the structure of In₂O₃, is improved the selectivity of methanol production to 86.66%. The methanol production rate reached 72.64 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which is higher than other clean energy-driven conversion technologies. This work provides a green route for uphill reactions in clean CO₂ conversion, offering a new approach for CO₂ emission reduction and resource utilization.