Potassium's promotional effect of unsupported copper catalysts for methanol synthesis

• Published in: Journal of catalysis Vol. 115; no. 2; pp. 376 - 387
• Main Authors: Sheffer, Gordon R., King, Terry S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.02.1989; Elsevier
• Subjects: 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 010408 - Coal, Lignite, & Peat- C1 Processes- (1987-); 10 SYNTHETIC FUELS; 100200 - Synthetic Fuels- Production- (1990-); ALCOHOLS; ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS; ALKALI METALS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON MONOXIDE; CARBON OXIDES; CARBONATES; CATALYSIS; Catalysts: preparations and properties; CATALYTIC EFFECTS; Catalytic reactions; CHALCOGENIDES; CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; Chemistry; COPPER; ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; ELEMENTS; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; General. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; HYDROGENATION; HYDROXY COMPOUNDS; KINETICS; METALS; METHANOL; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; POTASSIUM; POTASSIUM CARBONATES; POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS; PROMOTERS; REACTION KINETICS; SPECTROSCOPY; SYNTHESIS; Theory of reactions, general kinetics; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; TRANSITION ELEMENTS; X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY; Scanning electron microscopy; X ray spectrometry; Modified catalyst; Transition metal; Alkali metal; Dispersive spectrometry; X ray diffraction; Promoter; Electron micrography; Photoelectron spectrometry; Surface area; Copper; Catalyst activity; Potassium
• DOI: 10.1016/0021-9517(89)90042-0
• ISSN: 0021-9517

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.