Thermochemical conversion of coal or biomass into syngas followed by conversion to C2+ alcohols may provide an alternative route for the production of fuel additives or chemical feedstocks.  One challenge is to develop a catalyst with high yield by balancing hydrogenation, CO activation, and CO insertion rates.  Molybdenum based catalyst systems such as alkali modified molybdenum sulfides, carbides, and oxides have shown potential when additional components are added to control these competing rates.  This work highlights contributions of Ni, Cu, Zr, and Cr for controlling these competitive rates and the synthetic challenges of producing homogeneous mixed metal oxides.  A carbonate assisted co-precipitation route under varied pH/aging conditions was used to manipulate the compositional makeup and resulting structures.   The samples with the highest yields were characterized by the presence of considerable amounts surface polymeric molybdenum oxoanions that have formed on Zr or Cr oxide support phases decorated with Ni or Cu.

Molybdenum based mixed metal oxides for higher alcohol synthesis

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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