Potassium's promotional effect of unsupported copper catalysts for methanol synthesis
This paper presents an investigation of the promotional effect of potassium on unsupported copper catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we determined that under reaction conditions copper exists as a mixture of Cu + and Cu o species. Metall...
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Published in | Journal of catalysis Vol. 115; no. 2; pp. 376 - 387 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Amsterdam
Elsevier Inc
01.02.1989
Elsevier |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | This paper presents an investigation of the promotional effect of potassium on unsupported copper catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we determined that under reaction conditions copper exists as a mixture of Cu
+ and Cu
o species. Metallic copper by itself is inactive for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide, while we have found that the addition of potassium to copper forms an active and selective (up to 98 wt %) methanol synthesis catalyst. The initiation of catalytic activity correlated with the stabilization of the Cu
+ species. The potassium promoter was determined to be in the form of the thermodynamically stable carbonate. Potassium promotes this catalyst by stabilizing the Cu
+ species, probably in the form of CuKCO
3. |
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ISSN: | 0021-9517 1090-2694 |
DOI: | 10.1016/0021-9517(89)90042-0 |