Co-promoted Mo-carbide catalytic system for sustainable manufacturing of chemicals via co-processing of CO2 with ethane

The study reports progress in developing a molybdenum carbide-based catalyst for co-processing ethane and CO2. The cobalt promoting of molybdenum carbide improved the activity and stability of ethane transformation in the presence of CO2 substantially without any impact on ethylene selectivity. The Mo-Co supported catalyst also showed interesting performance in catalyzing ethane dry reforming and that application could be a perspective further use for this system. In addition, the comprehensive analysis of mono- and bi-metallic catalysts revealed that Co-promoting prevented rapid Mo-carbide oxidation. Further, tuning operation conditions allowed to control catalyst’s selectivity and maximize CO2 utilization or ethylene formation.