Recent progress in improving the stability of copper-based catalysts for hydrogenation of carbon-oxygen bonds

The quickly increasing demand for sustainable energy and materials requires researchers to develop highly efficient and stable catalytic materials for the hydrogenation of carbon-oxygen bonds into chemicals and fuels. Cu-based catalysts have been attracting tremendous attention in gas-phase catalytic reactions, such as the water-gas shift, CO oxidation and NOx reduction reactions. In particular, the C-O bond hydrogenation reaction is an economical and environmentally friendly way to produce alcohols. However, the instability of Cu-based catalysts has become a great challenge for industrial application. The majority of publications discuss the instability of Cu-based catalysts for reactions involving the hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate, methyl acetate, furfural, or CO2 to alcohols. This review briefly summarizes the roots of Cu-based catalyst deactivation and introduces five strategies for improving their stability, as well as the evolution of copper species during preparation and reaction and a novel Cu-based catalyst technology.