A Computational Study of Direct CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol on Pd Catalysts

Abstract

<p>We investigate the mechanism of direct CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation to methanol on Pd (111), (100) and (110) surfaces using density functional theory (DFT), providing insight into the reactivity of CO<sub>2</sub> on Pd-based catalysts. The initial chemisorption of CO<sub>2</sub>, forming a partially charged CO<sub>2</sub><sup>δ-</sup>, is weakly endothermic on a Pd (111) surface, with an adsorption energy of 0.06 eV, and slightly exothermic on Pd (100) and (110) surfaces, with adsorption energies of -0.13 and -0.23 eV, respectively. Based on Mulliken analysis, we attribute the low stability of CO<sub>2</sub><sup>δ-</sup><sub> </sub>on the Pd (111) surface to a negative charge that accumulates on the surface Pd atoms interacting directly with the CO<sub>2</sub><sup>δ-</sup><sub> </sub>adsorbate. For the reaction of the adsorbed species on the Pd surface, HCOOH hydrogenation to H<sub>2</sub>COOH is predicted to be the rate determining step of the conversion to methanol in all cases, with activation barriers of 1.35, 1.26, and 0.92 eV on Pd (111), (100) and (110) surfaces, respectively.<br></p>