Operando XAS in an additive manufactured reactor with condensation zone during CO2-methanol synthesis

One approach to circumvent unfavorable thermodynamics of CO2-methanol synthesis compared to syngas feed is the in-situ condensation of methanol (and water) which shifts the equilibrium to the product side. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of in-situ methanol and water condensation on the catalyst structure of a Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalyst during CO2-methanol synthesis by using a novel high-pressure operando XAS reactor. Structure changes due to variation of pressure and temperature in the condensation zone will be monitored in a spatially-resolved manner in order to investigate possible deactivation mechanism like ZnO agglomeration, restructuring or loss of oxygen vacancies. These results could give valuable insights in catalyst stability under realistic conditions and enable knowledge-based catalyst design.