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.