Hydrogenation of Carbon Monoxide in the Liquid Phase: Influence of the Synthetic Methods on Characteristics and Activity of Hydrogenation Catalysts

Oxygenate fuels are a promising solution to urban air pollution, reducing soot emissions by big margins. Formaldehyde is a major building block for the synthesis of oxygen-rich fuels. Herein we report the synthesis, characterisation and testing of ruthenium on alumina catalysts for the methanol-mediated CO hydrogenation towards oxygenates with the formaldehyde oxidation state. We varied the synthesis parameters and could see interesting correlation between synthesis parameters, final metal loading, crystallite sizes and catalyst activity. The catalysts were tested in a high-pressure three-folded reactor plant in the CO hydrogenation in methanolic media. Interesting relationships between catalyst synthesis, structure and activity could be gained from these experiments.

Automated summary

Oxygenate fuels are a promising solution for reducing urban air pollution by significantly decreasing soot emissions. This study focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and testing of ruthenium on alumina catalysts for the methanol-mediated CO hydrogenation towards oxygenates with the formaldehyde oxidation state. By varying the synthesis parameters, interesting correlations between synthesis parameters, final metal loading, crystallite sizes, and catalyst activity were observed. The catalysts were tested in a high-pressure reactor plant, and valuable insights into the relationships between catalyst synthesis, structure, and activity were obtained.