Indium oxide (In
2
O
3
) is a promising catalyst
for selective CH
3
OH synthesis from CO
2
but displays
insufficient activity at low reaction temperatures. By screening a
range of promoters (Co, Ni, Cu, and Pd) in combination with In
2
O
3
using flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) synthesis,
Ni is identified as the most suitable first-row transition-metal promoter
with similar performance as Pd–In
2
O
3
.
NiO–In
2
O
3
was optimized by varying the
Ni/In ratio using FSP. The resulting catalysts including In
2
O
3
and NiO end members have similar high specific surface
areas and morphology. The main products of CO
2
hydrogenation
are CH
3
OH and CO with CH
4
being only observed
at high NiO loading (≥75 wt %). The highest CH
3
OH
rate (∼0.25 g
MeOH
/(g
cat
h), 250 °C,
and 30 bar) is obtained for a NiO loading of 6 wt %. Characterization
of the as-prepared catalysts reveals a strong interaction between
Ni cations and In
2
O
3
at low NiO loading (≤6
wt %). H
2
-TPR points to a higher surface density of oxygen
vacancy (O
v
) due to Ni substitution. X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic
resonance analysis of the used catalysts suggest that Ni cations can
be reduced to Ni as single atoms and very small clusters during CO
2
hydrogenation. Supportive density functional theory calculations
indicate that Ni promotion of CH
3
OH synthesis from CO
2
is mainly due to low-barrier H
2
dissociation on
the reduced Ni surface species, facilitating hydrogenation of adsorbed
CO
2
on O
v
.