Efficient reverse water gas shift reaction at low temperatures over an iron supported catalyst under an electric field.

The development of high-performance Fe-based catalysts is attractive because Fe is a cost-effective and earth-abundant element. Application of an external electric field and an appropriate catalytic support to an Fe-based catalyst enabled the reverse water-gas shift reaction to proceed with high activity, selectivity, and durability even at the low temperature of 423 K. The Fe-supported catalyst showed superior CO selectivity (≈ 100%) compared to the Co- or Ni-supported catalyst. The apparent activation energy (5.9 kJ mol-1) over the Fe/Ce0.4Al0.1Zr0.5O2 catalyst under an electric field was much lower than that without an electric field (61.4 kJ mol-1).