Advances in CO2 recycle to alcohols and ethers through hydrogenation

This paper addresses the urgent challenge of CO₂ emissions and the need for sustainable energy sources. It emphasizes CO₂ hydrogenation as a promising solution for large-scale long-term energy storage, converting CO₂ into valuable fuels using green hydrogen generated from renewable sources. The study concentrates on exploring pathways leading to oxygenated compounds, such as alcohols or ethers, for their utilization as sustainable fuels. The investigation encompasses methanol, dimethyl ether, ethanol, and higher alcohols. The paper investigates catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation, ranging from traditional metal-based to advanced materials, aiming to identify efficient and stable catalysts for synthesizing oxygenated compounds. Catalysts are indispensable in CO₂ hydrogenation for the synthesis of oxygenated compounds, contributing to improved reaction kinetics, selectivity, economic viability, reduced environmental impact, and the overall sustainability of the process. The goal is to contribute to a fully renewable, carbon-neutral system powered by excess solar and wind electricity, where recycled CO₂ and green hydrogen are used to produce fuels, to be stored and then used to produce energy, electricity, heat, or mechanical energy, on demand, with the capture of the CO₂, in a system which is overall carbon neutral. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.