The reduction of CO2 to methanol via hydrogenation over Cu-based catalysts is a promising carbon management approach. Despite extensive studies in this area, there is a long standing debate in the literature regarding structure-activity relationships and roles of promoters. Under typical operating conditions, loss of catalytic activity is attributed to Cu sintering. We have synthesized and evaluated coprecipitated Cu-based catalysts with different metal oxide additives and varying degrees of crystallinity. The active sites, morphology, and adsorption characteristics of these catalysts were examined using various characterization techniques including XPS, HRTEM, and in situ XRD. Methanol synthesis from CO2 is structure-sensitive since smaller Cu crystallites exhibit larger turnover frequency values. Cu0 is the predominant Cu species on the surface of working catalysts and there is no spectroscopic evidence of Cu+ species. The incorporation of gallium and yttrium oxides improves the catalyst stability by suppressing the agglomeration of both Cu and ZnO particles.

Structure sensitivity and deactivation of copper-based catalysts in carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol

251st National Meeting (2016)

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