TU Wien researchers use new MOCHA catalysts to produce syngas from CO2

In Austria, TU Wien researchers recognised the potential of MOCHAs— organometallic chalcogenolate compounds— as catalysts and conducted experiments with them for the first time. However, they were faced with some problems: Previous synthesis methods only yielded small amounts of product and required a lot of time.

Initial tests showed that the catalytic performance of MOCHAs in the production of synthesis gas from CO2 is comparable to previously established catalysts. Moreover, they require much less energy, as the entire reaction can be carried out at room temperature. In addition, MOCHAs prove to be extremely stable. They can be used in different solvents, at different temperatures or under different pH conditions and retain their structure even after catalysis.