Advancing Sustainability in Hydrocarbon Production: Breakthroughs in CO2 Hydrogenation with Iron-Based Catalysts and Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impacts

The need for carbon-neutral synthetic fuels drives research into CO2 hydrogenation via Fischer−Tropsch (FT) synthesis,wherecatalyst selectionaffectsconversionefficiencyand environmentalperformance.Thisstudyapplieslifecycleassessment to three hydrotalcite-derived catalysts (Fe30, Fe40, Co45), evaluatingCO2utilizationefficiency, energydemand, andenvironmental impacts under laboratory-scale FTconditions. TheCO2 utilizationfactor(CUF),definedas theratioofCO2consumedto emitted, reached167%forCo45 at 350 °C, indicatingnetCO2 consumptiondespiteburdens fromcobalt productionandcritical rawmaterialuse. Iron-basedcatalystsofferlowerproduction-related emissions but lowerCO2 conversion,withFe40performing least favorably. Scenario analysis highlights electricity supply effects: replacing fossil powerwithhydroor biomass electricity improvesCO2 sequestrationbut introduces land-use and ecotoxicity challenges. These findings expose limitations of extrapolating laboratory-scale LCA to industrial systems and support the developmentof carbon-negativeFTfuelsbyguidingcatalystdesign,processefficiency, andenergyintegration.