U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Investigation of the Methanol Synthesis Mechanism on Raney Cu-Zn Catalysts

该奖项支持爱荷华州立大学的Glenn L.Schrader博士访问澳大利亚新南威尔士大学，与Curry-Hyde博士阁下合作，提供有关使用新型Raney铜锌催化剂将CO、CO2和H2转化为甲醇的机理的新的基本信息。尽管甲醇作为大量化学中间体的重要性，以及作为替代液体燃料或燃料添加剂的潜在巨大需求，但关于甲醇合成的详细催化机理仍然存在许多不确定因素。有关反应途径的新的基本信息将导致改进的甲醇催化剂和工艺。澳大利亚研究人员发现了一系列独特的基于Raney催化剂制备技术的高活性甲醇催化剂。美国研究人员为催化剂研究开发的两种先进光谱技术--FTIR反射吸收光谱(IRRAS)和激光拉曼光谱(LRS)，包括“表面增强”方法--将用于检测澳大利亚研究人员已经制备、表征和评价的Raney铜锌催化剂的活性和选择性。这些研究将提供有关甲醇合成催化剂上吸附和反应性质的新信息，并将导致对活性中心性质的更基本的理解。具体地说，这些研究的目标将是：(1)确定二氧化碳、CO、H2和H2O在Raney铜锌催化剂表面特定位置上的吸附性质；(2)考察中间体如甲酸盐、甲醛、甲氧基或其他表面物种在甲醇合成中的作用；(3)区分甲醇合成中CO2和CO转化机理的不同。

This award supports a visit by Dr. Glenn L. Schrader of Iowa State University to the University of New South Wales in Australia, to work with Dr. H.E. Curry-Hyde to provide new fundamental information concerning the mechanism of CO, CO2 and H2 conversion to methanol using novel Raney Cu-Zn catalysts. Despite the importance of methanol as a large- volume chemical intermediate--and the potentially enormous demand as an alternate liquid fuel or fuel additive--many uncertainties remain regarding the detailed catalytic mechanism for methanol synthesis. New fundamental information concerning the reaction pathway would lead to improved methanol catalysts and processes. The Australian researchers have discovered a unique series of highly active methanol catalysts based on a Raney-catalyst preparational technique. Two advanced spectroscopic techniques developed by the United States researchers for catalysts research--FTIR reflectance- absorbance spectroscopy (IRRAS) and laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), including "surface-enhanced" approaches--will be used to examine Raney Cu-Zn catalysts which have been prepared, characterized, and evaluated for activity and selectivity by the Australian researchers. These studies will contribute new information concerning the nature of adsorption and reaction on methanol synthesis catalysts and will lead to a more fundamental understanding of the nature of the active sites. Specifically, the goals of these studies will be: (1) to determine the nature of CO2, CO, H2, and H2O adsorption of specific sites on the surfaces of the Raney Cu-Zn catalysts; (2) to examine the role of intermediates such as formates, formaldehyde, methoxy, or other surface species in methanol synthesis; and (3) to distinguish the differences in the mechanistic pathways for CO2 and CO conversion in methanol synthesis.