Cu/αβ-Mox C as a Highly Selective Catalyst for the Reverse Water-gas Shift Reaction

Z. Yao, S. Liu, Q. Rong, D. Liu, K. Wang and N. Sun

Abstract
The Mo carbide has been widely studied as a promising catalyst system for reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGS). In this study, a novel Cu-doped Mo carbide, denoted as Cu/αβ-MoxC, was synthesized through a resin-based carbothermal reduction method, and its structure was characterized using XRD, BET, SEM and TEM techniques. The catalyst’s Mo carbide component consisted of α-MoC1–x and β-Mo2C phases, and the Cu/Mo molar ratios of 1/36, 1/22, 1/13, and 1/9 were considered. Among these catalysts, Cu/αβ-MoxC with a 1:22 Cu:Mo molar ratio exhibited the highest RWGS performance. It is worth noting that this catalyst also demonstrated significantly higher CO selectivity compared to previously reported Cu/β-Mo2C (97.6 % vs. 89.4 %) at lower temperatures (e.g., 250 °C), attributable to its reduced affinity with CO.

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Keywords
Cu-doped Mo carbide, Cu/αβ-MoxC resin, carbothermal reduction, reverse water-gas shift reaction