Catalytic Innovation for Green Fuel Production: Progress and Prospects

Abstract

Catalysis lies at the heart of modern fuel production, enabling the transformation of feedstocks ranging from fossil resources to biomass and CO₂ into valuable fuels. Over recent decades, tremendous advancements have been achieved in catalyst design, characterization, and deployment in both conventional and sustainable fuel production processes. This review examines the pivotal roles of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts across various thermochemical and electrochemical pathways such as hydrocracking, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, steam reforming, and CO₂ hydrogenation. We discuss active materials, promoters, supports, and deactivation mechanisms, as well as emerging nanocatalysts, bifunctional systems, and single-atom catalysts. Through a comparative analysis of catalytic performances in different systems, the review identifies bottlenecks in catalyst efficiency, selectivity, and stability. Future trends in rational catalyst design, in situ characterization, and AI-guided catalyst discovery are also explored to guide next-generation fuel technologies toward net-zero emissions.