Structure and performance of Cu/ZrO2 catalyst For the synthesis of methanol from CO2 hydrogenation

Cu/ZrO2 catalysts were prepared through fractional precipitation, impregnation-precipitation and solid-state reaction methods and characterized by N2 sorption, XRD, TPR, in-situ IR and XPS techniques. Their catalytic performances in methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation were investigated. The results showed that the physical structure and reducibility as well as the interaction between Cu and ZrO2 of a Cu/ZrO2 catalyst are greatly affected by the preparation method. The catalytic performance of Cu/ZrO2 is mainly determined by the interaction between Cu and ZrO2 rather than by the surface area. Compared with the catalysts prepared by other methods, the Cu/ZrO2 catalyst prepared by impregnation-precipitation is provided with higher CuO dispersion and stronger interaction between Cu and ZrO2; it also exhibits higher CO2 conversion and higher methanol yield when used as catalyst in the synthesis of methanol from CO2 hydrogenation.