Investigation of CO2 hydrogenation over Ni-Fe containing nanozeolites with framework-incorporated metal sites.

Cost-efficient and stable catalysts are crucial for CO2 hydrogenation to methane, a key step in converting CO2 into fuels. Metal-containing zeolites, with their adsorptive and catalytic properties, are positioned to significantly contribute to the achievement of these goals. We recently developed an automated synthesis of Fe-containing pure-silica MFI (Silicalite-1), creating distinct metal–zeolite interactions and enhancing CO2 chemisorption. This feature likely drives the remarkable methanation activity of 2 wt% Ni-FeMFI compared to undoped MFI. We therefore propose a comparative study of Fe-substituted zeolites using operando XAFS/XRD to (i) clarify the nature and arrangement of framework-incorporated Fe, and (ii) probe their behavior under reaction, especially interactions with Ni, to identify the active phase for CO2 activation and link it to reaction intermediates.