Catalytic valorization of CO2 via methanol synthesis with Ga-promoted Cu-ZnO-ZrO2 catalysts

New technologies aimed to reduce the huge amounts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and their environmental impacts would only succeed if the product resulting from the transformation of CO2 is demanded in high quantities, as for instance, methanol. In this context, we have undertaken a systematic study of the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 into methanol with Ga-doped Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalysts. The detailed characterization of these systems reveals that the abundance of surface Cu and the amount of metallic Cu0 increases with Ga2O3 loading. These features are responsible for a selectivity enhancement in CH3OH synthesis from CO2/H2 mixtures. Furthermore, the reaction kinetic analysis shows that the production of CH3OH is increased at high temperatures by increasing H2 pressure. These results are very important for the development and implementation of highly active industrial catalysts for the synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H2. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.