Core-shell structured Cu@m-SiO2 and Cu/ZnO@m-SiO2 catalysts for methanol synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation

The core-shell catalysts with Cu and Cu/ZnO nanoparticles coated by mesoporous silica shells are prepared for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. With the confined effect of silica shell, the size of Cu nanoparticles is only about 5.0 nm, which results in high activity for CO2 conversion. The CH3OH selectivity is enhanced significantly with the introduction of ZnO. The core-shell structured catalysts endow the Cu nanoparticles trapped inside with excellent anti-aggregation and no deactivation is observed with time-on-stream. Therefore, the core shell Cu/ZnO@m-SiO2 catalyst exhibits the maximum CH3OH yield with high stability. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.