Molybdenum Oxide Supported on Ti 3 AlC 2 is an Active Reverse Water-Gas Shift Catalyst.

MAX phases are layered ternary carbides or nitrides that are attractive for catalysis applications due to their unusual set of properties. They show high thermal stability like ceramics, but they are also tough, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity like metals. Here, we study the potential of the TiAlC MAX phase as a support for molybdenum oxide for the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction, comparing this new catalyst to more traditional materials. The catalyst showed higher turnover frequency values than MoO/TiO and MoO/AlO catalysts, due to the outstanding electronic properties of the TiAlC support. We observed a charge transfer effect from the electronically rich TiAlC MAX phase to the catalyst surface, which in turn enhances the reducibility of MoO species during reaction. The redox properties of the MoO/TiAlC catalyst improve its RWGS intrinsic activity compared to TiO- and AlO-based catalysts.