Light olefins, mainly ethylene and propylene, are amongst the organic compounds with the largest production volume. They are currently produced from fossil resources. The reduction of the carbon footprint of products synthesized from these intermediates necessitates the use of alternative feedstock, such as atmospheric CO2.
The objective of this phD is the development of catalyst for the direct hydrogenation of CO2 into light olefins. Fe based catalyst combining reverse water gas shift (RWGS) and Fischer-Tropsch polymerization (FT) capabilities will be developed. In order to have a better understanding of iron forms involved in the reaction, Fe nanoparticles of controlled composition and dsizes will be prepared and dispersed on different support (silica, alumina, carbon,…). The catalytic properties will then be evaluated on a dynamic reactor and finely characterized using numerous techniques (XRD, XPS, HRTEM, …).