Structure and Properties of Sol-Gel Derived CuNiMnZrO2 Catalysts for CO Hydrogenation

Two CuNiMnZrO2 catalysts (crystallized or non-crystallized) were prepared by co-hydrolyzing zirconium n-propoxide with Cu(NO3)2, Mn(NOs)2 and Ni(NOs)2 in an ethanol solution in the presence of diglycol. The physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were characterized using BET, XRD, TEM, XPS and CO-DRIFT techniques. It was found that the non-crystallized CuNiMnZrO2 catalyst demonstrated highly dispersed active phases and high activity for CO adsorption, which resulted in good performance for synthesis of higher alcohols in CO hydrogenation compared to crystallized CuNiMnZrO2.