Enhanced CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol Using out-of-Plane Grown MoS2 Flakes on Amorphous Carbon Scaffold

Abstract

The conversion of excess carbon dioxide (CO₂) into valuable chemicals is critical for achieving a sustainable society. Among various catalysts, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has demonstrated potential for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. However, its catalytic activity has yet to be fully optimized, and scalable, industrially viable production methods remain underdeveloped. In this work, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach is introduced to grow vertically oriented MoS₂ crystals on an amorphous carbon template. This method enhances the exposure of vacancy-rich basal planes, which are crucial for stable catalytic performance. The 2H-MoS₂ flakes, supported on a conductive carbon scaffold, exhibit catalytic activity, achieving a net space-time yield of 2.68 g_MeOH g_cat⁻¹ h⁻¹ with a selectivity of 82.5% under mild conditions (264 °C, 10 bar). This work highlights a significant step toward the industrial application of MoS₂-based catalysts for CO₂ conversion, bridging the gap between fundamental research and scalable implementation.