CO2 hydrogenation to methanol over Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalysts prepared via a route of solid-state reaction

Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by a route of solid-state reaction and tested for the synthesis of methanol from CO2 hydrogenation. The effects of calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of as-prepared catalysts were investigated by N-2 adsorption, XRD, TEM, N2O titration and H-2-TPR techniques. The results show that the dispersion of copper species decreases with the increase in calcination temperature. Meanwhile, the phase transformation of zirconia from tetragonal to monoclinic was observed. The highest activity was achieved over the catalyst calcined at 400 degrees C. This method is a promising alternative for the preparation of highly efficient Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalysts. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.