Advancing Sustainability in Hydrocarbon Production: Breakthroughs in CO 2 Hydrogenation with Iron-Based Catalysts and Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impacts

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The need for carbon-neutral synthetic fuels drives research into CO 2 hydrogenation via Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, where catalyst selection affects conversion efficiency and environmental performance. This study applies life cycle assessment to three hydrotalcite-derived catalysts (Fe30, Fe40, Co45), evaluating CO 2 utilization efficiency, energy demand, and environmental impacts under laboratory-scale FT conditions. The CO 2 utilization factor (CUF), defined as the ratio of CO 2 consumed to emitted, reached 167% for Co45 at 350 °C, indicating net CO 2 consumption despite burdens from cobalt production and critical raw material use. Iron-based catalysts offer lower production-related emissions but lower CO 2 conversion, with Fe40 performing least favorably. Scenario analysis highlights electricity supply effects: replacing fossil power with hydro or biomass electricity improves CO 2 sequestration but introduces land-use and ecotoxicity challenges. These findings expose limitations of extrapolating laboratory-scale LCA to industrial systems and support the development of carbon-negative FT fuels by guiding catalyst design, process efficiency, and energy integration.