MOF-derived Cu-ZnO-ZrO2 catalysts for CH3OH synthesis from CO2 hydrogenation

Metal -oxide interaction is crucial in catalyst performance. Using MOF as precursor can improve the metal -oxide interface on the catalysts. This work explores the properties of the MOF-derived Cu-Zn-Zr catalysts (CZZ-HN, CZZ-C Z-HNPs, CZZ-ZB, CZZ-Z and CZZ-U) in the hydrogenation of CO2 to CH3OH with reference to the conventional catalysts (CZZ-CP) prepared by co -precipitation. The catalyst structure is found to be closely related to the catalyst composition and the MOF type. The evaluation results imply that the CO2 hydrogenation activity is related to the number of surface Cu sites, and different Cu sites influence the product distribution. Among the investigated catalysts, the metal -oxide interface is greatly enhanced on CZZ-HN due to the proper match of element composition and MOF type (high amount of Cu with Cu-MOF precursor), which shows improved STYCH3OH and TOFCH3OH compared with CZZ-CP. This study verifies the enhancement of metal -oxide interface by the MOF-derivation method, and inspires further optimization of catalyst structure by matching synthesis formula and MOF types for various reactions.