A Green and Sustainable Cobalt-Based Nanocatalyst for CO₂ Fixation

The efficient utilization of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere to produce valuable chemicals is one of the most important pathways for reducing its impact on global warming. Heterogeneous catalysts can play a major role in this regard. Herein, we employed cellulose as a source of carbon that was doped with nitrogen for the distribution of highly active cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) to produce a Co-based N-doped cellulosic-carbon supported nanocatalyst (Co-NC). The physicochemical analysis of Co-NC confirms the fabrication of finely distributed Co NPs on cellulosic-carbon support. The nitrogen and oxygen present on the heterogeneous support are majorly responsible for the anchoring of Co NPs. The Co-NC nanocatalyst was investigated for its catalytic activity in CO₂ utilization through the synthesis of cyclic carbonates, and the findings revealed that the nanocatalyst exhibited a high degree of activity. Also, the Co-NC nanocatalyst could catalyze the reaction till seven recycles without considerable decrease in the catalytic activity.