Co-promoted Mo-carbide catalytic system for sustainable manufacturing of chemicals via co-processing of CO2 with ethane

The study reports progress in developing a molybdenum carbide-based catalyst for co-processing ethane and CO₂. The cobalt promoting of molybdenum carbide improved the activity and stability of ethane transformation in the presence of CO₂ substantially without any impact on ethylene selectivity. The Mo-Co supported catalyst also showed interesting performance in catalyzing ethane dry reforming and that application could be a perspective further use for this system. In addition, the comprehensive analysis of mono- and bi-metallic catalysts revealed that Co-promoting prevented rapid Mo-carbide oxidation. Further, tuning operation conditions allowed to control catalyst’s selectivity and maximize CO₂ utilization or ethylene formation.