Promoting the Synthesis of Methanol: Understanding the Requirements for an Industrial Catalyst for the Conversion of CO₂

Abstract

The hydrogenation of CO to methanol is a potential process for the sustainable production of synthetic liquid fuels. The Cu/ZnO catalyst employed for this reaction has been studied extensively for many years, and recent progress now has the potential to turn it into a prototype for complex promotional interactions in heterogeneous catalysis.

A Critical Look at Direct Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Olefins

“…It is concluded that, to date, the catalysts used in the carbon dioxide hydrogenation reactiong ive aw ide product distribution, which reduces the specifics electivity to lower olefins.M ore efforts are needed to reach better control of the C/H surface ratio and interactions within the functionalities of the catalyst, as well as understanding the reaction mechanism and avoiding deactivation. [12] However,m ethanol is nowadays also obtained from CO 2 .F or example, Carbon Recycling International( CRI) developed the world's first commercialC O 2 to methanolp lant in Iceland. Table 1.…”

Methanol Synthesis from Steel Mill Exhaust Gases: Challenges for the Industrial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst

“…). Although many efforts were made to develop catalysts for optimized CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol, the industrially applied Cu‐based catalyst still dominates CO 2 hydrogenation due to its outstanding performance , , , .…”

“…Therefore, by the use of biomass‐derived CO 2 or recycled CO 2 from industrial plants such as coal‐fired power plants or steel mill plants, methanol synthesis can contribute to CO 2 mitigation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere . Thus, topics like emission‐to‐liquid or power‐to‐fuel , , where CO 2 emissions can be utilized using renewable energy, are investigated intensively and several pilot plants have already been built . The high energy demand of converting the thermodynamically very stable molecule CO 2 is the most challenging task.…”

Oriented Isomorphous Substitution: An Efficient and Alternative Route to Fabricate the Zn Rich Phase Pure (Cu1−x,Znx)2(OH)2CO3 Precursor Catalyst for Methanol Synthesis

“…The Cu/ZnO based catalysts are widely applied on various catalytic reactions involving synthesis of alcohols . Studies on the phases of Cu‐containing hydroxycarbonates revealed that some precursor phases play important role for the catalytic performance .…”

“…The Cu/ZnO based catalysts are widely applied on various catalytic reactions involving synthesis of alcohols. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Studies on the phases of Cu-containing hydroxycarbonates revealed that some precursor phases play important role for the catalytic performance. [9][10][11][12][13] The Zn-doped malachite, (Cu 1À x ,Zn x ) 2 (OH) 2 CO 3 , possess homogeneous microstructure, well dispersion of Cu 2 + and Zn 2 + at an atomic level, enhanced metal-oxide interaction after calcination, stability against sintering and high specific surface area and is considered as an effective precursor for industrial Cu/ZnO catalyst.…”