Research advances on ZrO2-based catalysts for CO hydrogenation to isobutene

Isobutene is an important feedstock for the production of high value-added chemicals. Currently, isobutene is mainly obtained from petroleum cracking, but the shortage of petroleum resources has led to a situation where isobutene is in short supply. Isosynthesis is the highly selective generation of isobutene from syngas in the presence of catalysts, which is providing a very promising route. Although the CO hydrogenation to isobutene has made significant progress, the development of efficient catalysts remains a great challenge. Meanwhile, the mechanism of isosynthesis is still unclear. This review focuses on the design and preparation of ZrO2 based catalysts, as well as the study of their performance and reaction mechanism in CO hydrogenation to isobutene. A systematic summary and analysis of the structure-activity relationship between acid-base sites, oxygen vacancies, surface hydroxyl groups of ZrO2 catalysts, operating conditions and the product distribution of CO hydrogenation are illustrated in depth.