Modulation of Electronic Metal-Support Interaction between Cu and ZnO by Er for Effective Low-Temperature CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

Methanol produced by CO2 hydrogenation is an essential carrier for a sustainable carbon cycle. However, achieving an efficient methanol synthesis on traditional CuZnO catalysts at low temperatures remains challenging due to the inertness of CO2. Herein, we designed Er-CuZnO catalysts that exhibited remarkable activity for low-temperature methanol synthesis. At 170 degrees C, the catalyst achieved a methanol selectivity of 89.8% at a CO2 conversion of 8.5% on Er0.2CuZnO, which outperformed most CuZnO-based catalysts. The particle size of ZnO was reduced after Er was added to the lattice, which increased the Cu-ZnO interfaces and created a strong electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) between Cu and ZnO. The electron was transferred from ZnO to Cu, forming Cu delta-. Cu delta- with more negative charges enhanced CO2 adsorbed species and intermediates activation, while facilitating surface carbonate activation and the hydrogenation of *CO intermediates into *HCO species, promoting the methanol formation at low temperatures.