The Role of the Oxide Component in the Development of Copper Composite Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis

Abstract

The design of solid catalysts for industrial processes remains a major challenge in synthetic materials chemistry. Based on the investigation of the industrial Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst, a modular concept is introduced that helps to develop novel methanol synthesis catalysts that operate in different feed gas mixtures. SA=surface area, SMSI=strong metal–support interaction

IR-Spectroscopic Study on the Interface of Cu-Based Methanol Synthesis Catalysts: Evidence for the Formation of a ZnO Overlayer

“…Recently, a Cu/ZnO:Al (Al as dopant in the ZnO; ZnO:Al, lower Al-content of <3 wt%) catalyst has been compared with a Cu/MgO catalyst in methanol synthesis [20][21][22]. The Cu nano-structure in Cu/ZnO:Al and Cu/MgO is almost identical due to the common malachite-based precursor structure [20].…”

“…The Cu nano-structure in Cu/ZnO:Al and Cu/MgO is almost identical due to the common malachite-based precursor structure [20]. Despite similar Cu-content and specific surface area, the Cu/MgO catalyst showed a seven times higher activtiy in a CO/H 2 feed, [22] and almost no activity in a CO/CO 2 /H 2 -feed, confirming the needed Cu-ZnO synergy in particular for the CO 2 activation [23][24][25][26][27][28] that may be attributed to different reasons including a wetting of Cu by (layered-) ZnO under reaction conditions.…”

Influence of hydrogen on the structure and stability of ultra-thin ZnO on metal substrates

“…For example, the formation of a graphitic ZnO x species was suggested and experimentally observed in the vicinity of nano-particles. 16,17 It is thus not clear to what degree ultra-thin metal-supported ZnO films resemble the surfaces of ZnO or whether they exhibit significantly different properties.…”

Sustainable Energy Systems: The Strategic Role of Chemical Energy Conversion

“…We have also found optimized synthesis routes to catalysts of technical scalability [96][97][98]. We have developed concepts and synthesis strategies to boost the performance of technical catalysts by adding suitable promoter [99][100][101] elements. Despite of all these favorable conditions we are not in a position to know if Cu/ ZnO is the best possible catalyst for this reaction.…”