Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3 OH on Supported Cu Nanoparticles Promoted by Isolated TiIV Surface Sites on SiO2.

Small and narrowly distributed Cu nanoparticles, supported on SiO2 decorated with isolated TiIV sites, prepared through surface organometallic chemistry, showed significantly improved CO2 hydrogenation activity and CH3 OH selectivity compared to the corresponding Cu nanoparticles supported on SiO2 . These isolated Lewis acid TiIV sites, evidenced by UV/Vis spectroscopy, are proposed to stabilize surface intermediates at the interface between Cu nanoparticles and the support.