We report an emerging synthetic route for the production of ethanol via syngas using Cu/SiO2 catalysts. The remarkable stability and efficiency of the catalyst are ascribed to the unique lamellar structure and cooperative effect between surface Cu0 and Cu+ obtained by a ammonia evaporation hydrothermal method. Characterization results indicated that the formation of Cu0 and Cu+ occurs in the reduction process originated from well dispersed CuO and copper phyllosilicate, respectively. Examining the relative correlations between catalytic activity and Cu0/Cu+ site densities, suggested that Cu0 could be the sole active site and primarily responsible for the activity of the catalyst. Moreover, the selectivity of ethanol and ethylene glycol can be tuned by simply regulating the reaction temperature.

Synthesis of ethanol based on hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate via syngas on supported copper catalysts

244th National Meeting (2012)

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