Structure and performance of Cu/ZrO 2 catalyst For the synthesis of methanol from CO 2 hydrogenation

Abstract

Cu/ZrO 2 catalysts were prepared through fractional precipitation, impregnation-precipitation and solid-state reaction methods and characterized by N 2 sorption, XRD, TPR, in-situ IR and XPS techniques. Their catalytic performances in methanol synthesis from CO 2 hydrogenation were investigated. The results showed that the physical structure and reducibility as well as the interaction between Cu and ZrO 2 of a Cu/ZrO 2 catalyst are greatly affected by the preparation method. The catalytic performance of Cu/ZrO 2 is mainly determined by the interaction between Cu and ZrO 2 rather than by the surface area. Compared with the catalysts prepared by other methods, the Cu/ZrO 2 catalyst prepared by impregnation-precipitation is provided with higher CuO dispersion and stronger interaction between Cu and ZrO 2; it also exhibits higher CO 2 conversion and higher methanol yield when used as catalyst in the synthesis of methanol from CO 2 hydrogenation.