Improving Fe/Al2O3 Catalysts for the Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reaction: On the Effect of Cs as Activity/Selectivity Promoter

Abstract

The conversion of CO2 into CO via the Reverse Water–Gas Shift (RWGS) reaction is a suitable route for CO2 valorisation. Fe-based catalysts are highly active for this reaction, but their activity and selectivity can be substantially boosted by adding Cs as a promoter. In this work we demonstrate that Cs modifies the redox behaviour and the surface chemistry of the iron-based materials. The metallic dispersion and the amount of metallic Fe centres available for the reaction depends on Cs loading. 5 wt. % of Cs is an optimum amount of dopant to achieve a fair activity/selective balance. Nevertheless, depending on the RWGS reactor operational temperature, lower concentrations of Cs also lead to acceptable catalytic performance. Along with the excellent activity of the prepared materials this work showcases their robustness for long-term runs and the strong impact of H2/CO ratio in the overall catalytic performance.