Preparation effects on Cu-ZrO2 catalysts for the synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H-2

The effects of the preparation method on the catalytic properties of Cu-ZrO2 catalysts were studied for the synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H-2. The preparation parameters, namely composition, coprecipitation temperature, salt/Na2CO3 mole ratio and starting salt, were examined in detail. Cu-ZrO2 catalyst (50%Cu) prepared by using copper chloride and zirconium sulfate showed a remarkably higher activity than Cu-ZrO2 catalysts prepared by other combinations of starting salts; chloride, nitrate and sulfate. The high activity of the Cu-ZrO2 catalyst can be explained in terms of the formation of relatively large crystalline copper metal with edge or corner sites decorated with chloride ion and in terms of highly dispersed zirconium species.