High-performance Cu/ZnO catalysts prepared using a three-channel microreactor

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A tri-inlet micro-channel reactor was used to obtain initial precipitates with uniform Cu-Zn distribution by introducing the water layer to regulate the co-precipitation process based on the inverse relation between intrinsic reaction rates and diffusion rates of Cu2+ and Zn2+, and the catalysts with high activities were obtained. High-resolution transmission electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, and N2O reactive frontal chromatography method were employed to analyze the evolving microstructures of the catalysts. The synthesis of methanol from syngas was utilized to measure the performance of the obtained catalysts. The results showed, as the ratio of water layer increased, better uniformity of Cu-Zn distribution in co-precipitates was achieved, thus incorporating more Zn into precursors and diminishing the ratio of aurichalcite, resulting in more intimate contact, better dispersion and stronger interaction between CuO and ZnO. All results denote clearly that the effect from the original co-precipitation impacts eventually on the Cu-Zn interfaces of catalysts and changes the catalytic performance significantly.