Alcohol‐Induced Strong Metal‐Support Interactions in a Supported Copper/ZnO Catalyst

Abstract

Tuning the strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) in metal catalysts is a promising strategy to improve their catalytic performance. In this article, we systematically investigated the influences of different alcohol/water mixtures on the evolution of the interfacial structure of Cu/ZnO catalysts in the reduction stage. A series of in situ characterization and theoretical simulation studies were performed to elucidate the various mechanisms of alcohol induced SMSI. It was found that when methanol/water is added to H2 during the reduction pretreatment, more oxygen vacancies are formed on the ZnO support, which facilitates the dissociation of H2O and the hydroxylation of ZnO species. Such promotion eventually favors the SMSI between Cu and ZnO and increases the catalytic activity for the methanol steam reforming reaction. In contrast, the addition of ethanol/water and 1‐propanol/water during reduction leads to a physical blockage of the catalyst by alcohol molecules, poisoning the active Cu sites and limiting the migration of ZnO species.

Electrochemical Synthesized Copper Mesh Catalysts for Methanol Steam Reforming

“…Three infrared bands at 2130, 2103−2104, and 2085−5086 cm −1 are assigned to CO adsorption on large Cu NPs, Cu + , and metallic Cu 0 sites, respectively. 30,42 The Cu + species are generally believed to originate from the Cu−ZnO interface. 42,43 The Cu + /(Cu 0 + Cu + ) ratio is 80.7% for CZAM-250Ar-R and 71.1% for CZM-250Ar-R, which is consistent with the XPS results.…”

“…30,42 The Cu + species are generally believed to originate from the Cu−ZnO interface. 42,43 The Cu + /(Cu 0 + Cu + ) ratio is 80.7% for CZAM-250Ar-R and 71.1% for CZM-250Ar-R, which is consistent with the XPS results.…”

Atmosphere-Dependent Strong Metal–Support Interactions in Au/ZnO Catalysts and Their Overlayer Permeability

“…However, overlayer manipulation is seldom mentioned in O-SMSI materials, which hinders development and utilization. Among the O-SMSI materials, ZnO has garnered attention owing to its high efficiency in industrial methanol synthesis and oxidation reactions. − Au/ZnO was studied based on a heat-treatment method, ZnO particle size, and the predominant crystal plane of ZnO, demonstrating the great impact of ZnO properties on catalytic activity. Besides, it is well accepted that the microstructure of the overlayer is closely correlated with the catalytic performance, and the structure of ZnO exhibits significant variations in different atmospheres.…”

Theoretical insights into H2O adsorption on CuAlO2(112̄0) surfaces: from low to high coverage

“…In MSR technology, both noble metal and non-precious metal catalysts are utilized. 7 Among non-precious metal catalysts, copper-based catalysts such as CuO/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 8 and Cu/ZnO 9 have garnered attention for their affordability, high selectivity, and effectiveness at low temperatures. Despite these advantages, the catalysts face issues with thermal instability, including spontaneous combustion, sintering, and deactivation.…”