A review published in Engineering summarizes advances in sorption-enhanced catalytic hydrogenation of carbon oxides, a technology that improves reaction efficiency by selective water vapor removal to support low-carbon transformation of conventional energies. As the world pursues the Paris Agreement goals, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) and Power-to-Fuel concepts gain importance, where captured CO₂ is hydrogenated with green hydrogen from water electrolysis using surplus renewable electricity.

Sorption-enhanced hydrogenation follows Le Chatelier’s principle by in situ removing steam, shifting reaction equilibrium toward target products and enabling effective hydrogenation at relatively low pressures. This approach applies to four main processes: sorption-enhanced methanation (SEM), sorption-enhanced methanol synthesis (SEMeOHS), sorption-enhanced dimethyl ether synthesis (SEDMES), and sorption-enhanced reverse water–gas shift (SERWGS). Zeolites are widely studied as water sorbents, while fixed-bed reactors remain the most common configuration despite requiring intermittent sorbent regeneration and facing heat-management challenges at scale.

The review notes that chemical looping systems with coupled fluidized beds offer continuous operation, better heat control, and efficient sorbent regeneration compared to fixed-bed setups. For SEM, nickel-based catalysts are widely used commercially, and studies show water removal boosts methane yield while requiring control to avoid carbon deposition. SEMeOHS and SEDMES focus on process optimization and scaling, with water removal enhancing CO₂ conversion but slightly lowering methanol selectivity by promoting the reverse water–gas shift reaction. SERWGS research prioritizes high-performance materials for pressurized operation and CO selectivity.

Key challenges include developing water sorbents that work under relevant temperatures, resist degradation, and maintain selectivity amid competing gases; designing stable reactor configurations; mitigating coke formation accelerated by water removal; and conducting techno-economic and life-cycle assessments for scale-up. The review covers experimental and modeling work, highlighting paths to advance this technology toward commercial deployment for synthetic renewable hydrocarbon production.

The paper “Sorption-Enhanced Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Oxides by Selective Water Vapor Capture,” is authored by Fiorella Massa, Antonio Coppola, Fabrizio Scala. Full text of the open access paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.020. For more information about Engineering, visit the website at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/engineering.