MIGRATION AND REDUCTION OF FORMATE TO FORM METHANOL ON CU ZNO CATALYSTS/

Temperature-programmed decomposition (TPD) and temperature-programmed hydrogenation (TPH) experiments were performed on copper and zinc form ates. Formic acid was found to be the only organic product from the co pper formate reactions. Methanol and methyl formate were found to be t he major organic products from the zinc formate reactions, When ZnO wa s mixed with copper formate, the yields of methanol and methyl formate increased. Temperature-programmed IR (TPIR) spectroscopy of the coppe r formate/ZnO indicated the migration of the formate from copper to Zn O in the temperature range below 430 K at which the decomposition of t he copper formate began, The experimental results elucidated the syner gistic effect between copper and ZnO; formate migration onto ZnO and i ts hydrogenation to methanol on ZnO, Based on the synergistic effect, a reaction mechanism for methanol synthesis from the hydrogenation of carbon oxides in Cu/ZnO catalysts was proposed.