Incorporating
a small number of promoters into Cu/ZnO
catalysts
could modify the defect structure of the catalyst, leading to differences
in the interaction of active sites and dramatically affecting the
catalytic performance. Herein, Cu/ZnO catalysts with different oxygen
vacancy contents were successfully synthesized by incorporating Ga
via the Complete Liquid Phase method (CLP). The studies suggested
that changing the Ga loading could effectively tune the oxygen vacancy
content. Increased oxygen vacancies enhanced the electron transfer
from ZnO to Cu, strengthening the Cu/ZnO interaction and herewith
forming more Cu0 as well as defect structures of Znδ+, which favored the formation of CH
x
O*(CH
x
*) and carbon chain growth.
In situ DRIFT results implied that oxygen vacancy facilitated the
activation of CO, in which the formation of HCOO* and CH
x
O* was involved and CH
x
* formed through CO dissociation and further hydrogenation or the
partial dissociation of CH
x
O* on the Cu0 active sites. Ultimately, C2
+OH was
produced by the C–C coupling of CH
x
* with CH
x
O*/CO* in the Znδ+ sites. As a result, Cu/ZnO catalyst doped with 6 mol % Ga realized
outstanding catalytic performance with 17.22% CO conversion, and the
fraction of ethanol and C2+OH up to 60.22% and 71.90%,
respectively.