Sequential Oxygen Reduction and Adsorption for Carbon Dioxide Purification for Flue Gas Applications

Sequestration or utilization of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) produced from fossil fuels depends on the ability to transform flue gas into purified streams. Recent developments in oxy‐combustion have improved the efficiency of energy generation and carbon capture (>90% CO 2 ). The subsequent removal of oxygen (O 2 ) from this flue gas is critical, but such a process is energy intensive, technologically challenging, and unsolved. Herein, a simulated flue gas stream is purified by the catalytic conversion of oxygen using methane (CH 4 ). The supported palladium (Pd) catalyst selectively reduces oxygen to an effluent gas with 99.7% CO 2 and 0.3% O 2 . Using a higher Pd loading has no impact on the oxygen conversion, whereas feeding excess CH 4 decreases the selectivity to CO 2 . A complete removal of O 2 is achieved using a copper‐based oxygen scavenger placed after the Pd catalyst bed, yielding a 100.0% pure CO 2 stream.