Zeolites in CO₂ Activation and Conversion: Mechanistic Consensus, Controversies, and Catalyst Design Principles

¹Department of Chemistry, Government Degree College, Uri, Baramulla, 193123, J&K, India

²Department of Physics, Government College Autonomous Kalaburagi, Gulbarga, 585105, Karnataka, India

³Department of Zoology, Government Degree College Sogam 192231, India

Received Date: January 01, 2026
Published Date: April 27, 2026

*Corresponding author: Dr. Bashir Ahmad Dar, Department of Chemistry, Government Degree College, Uri, Baramulla, 193123, J&K, India, Phone: +918491828956, E-mail: [email protected]

Citation: Dar BA, Fatima N, Dar SA. (2026). Zeolites in CO₂ Activation and Conversion: Mechanistic Consensus, Controversies, and Catalyst Design Principles. Catalysis Research. 5(1):21.

Copyright: Dar BA, et al. © (2026).

ABSTRACT

Carbon dioxide cycling via catalytic conversion into fuels and value-added chemicals has drawn significant attention as a pathway to carbon circularity; however, the efficient activation of this thermodynamically stable molecule remains an overarching fundamental challenge. Zeolites have evolved from mere passive supports into programmable catalytic microenvironments in which framework composition, acid–base properties, pore topology and metal confinement all play roles to dictate CO₂ adsorption, intermediate stabilization and product selectivity. This review provides an assessment of the mechanistic roles presented by zeolite-based materials in important CO₂ conversion pathways, including hydrogenation to methanol and hydrocarbons, cycloaddition with epoxides, and coupling with amines. Specific attention is paid to differentiating between well-known mechanistic aspects and those whose existence is yet to be confirmed. Current evidence indicates that Lewis acidic cations, metal–oxide/zeolite interfaces, and confined metal species are the dominant motifs for primary CO₂ activation. In contrast, Brønsted acid sites more commonly stabilize oxygenated intermediates, mediate proton transfer, and influence downstream transformation chemistry rather than directly protonating CO₂. Across reaction classes, catalytic performance is governed recurrently by metal nuclearity and dispersion, acid–base balance, confinement, and hierarchical porosity. The review also highlights key limitations that have prevented progress towards the rational design of catalysts for translation purposes, including inconsistent benchmarking, operando studies of elementary processes, catalyst deactivation in real feedstocks, and the scalability of highly complex catalysts. The review concludes with a discussion of some exciting new areas such as single-atom catalysts, tandem catalysts, membrane reactors and data-driven design of catalysts.

Keywords: Zeolites, CO₂ Activation, Hydrogenation, Cyclic Carbonates, Heterogeneous Catalysis, Acid–Base Sites