High Performance Tunable Catalysts Prepared by Using 3D Printing

Honeycomb monoliths are the preferred supports in many industrial heterogeneous catalysis reactions, but current extrusion synthesis only allows obtaining parallel channels. Here, we demonstrate that 3D printing opens new design possibilities that outperform conventional catalysts. High performance carbon integral monoliths have been prepared with a complex network of interconnected channels and have been tested for carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methane after loading a Ni/CeO(2) active phase. CO(2) methanation rate is enhanced by 25% at 300 °C because the novel design forces turbulent flow into the channels network. The methodology and monoliths developed can be applied to other heterogeneous catalysis reactions, and open new synthesis options based on 3D printing to manufacture tailored heterogeneous catalysts.