Over 70% Conversion in the Direct Splitting of CO2 to CO via a Catalytic Membrane Reactor

Jinkun Tan; Zhengkun Liu; Wanglin Zhou; Guining Chen; Zhenbin Gu; Gongping Liu; Guangru Zhang; Wanqin Jin

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.09.036

Engineering ›› :202509036 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.09.036

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Over 70% Conversion in the Direct Splitting of CO₂ to CO via a Catalytic Membrane Reactor

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Abstract

Carbon dioxide direct splitting (CDS;) has potential for converting CO₂ into feedstocks and reducing CO₂ emissions. Nevertheless, it is severely restricted by its thermodynamic equilibrium, resulting in a minimal 0.00052% CO₂ conversion at 900 °C. By selectively removing the oxygen product, a catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) can shift the thermodynamic equilibrium of CDS, achieving CO₂ conversions that exceed equilibrium limits. However, issues remain in CMRs, including low catalytic activity, high transport resistance, and inadequate driving force. At the same time, chemical industries burn a substantial quantity of low-grade hydrogen (H₂) resources, resulting in low-quality combustion and energy inefficiency. Here, we construct a robust CMR that utilizes low-grade H₂ resources for CO₂ splitting, enabling an efficiency of over 70% for CO₂ conversion at 900 °C. This ultra-high CO₂ conversion is achieved by matching the reaction with oxygen separation in the CMR through the use of an active catalyst, a stable membrane, and an adequate driving force supplied by the low-grade H₂ resource. This approach is projected to yield a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions, holding the potential to mitigate carbon footprints across industrial sectors.

Keywords

CO₂ direct splitting / Membrane reactor / Low-grade H₂ resource utilization / Oxygen-permeable membrane

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Jinkun Tan, Zhengkun Liu, Wanglin Zhou, Guining Chen, Zhenbin Gu, Gongping Liu, Guangru Zhang, Wanqin Jin. Over 70% Conversion in the Direct Splitting of CO₂ to CO via a Catalytic Membrane Reactor. Engineering 202509036 DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2025.09.036

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