Efficient Ni-based catalysts for low-temperature reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction

CO₂ hydrogenation for syngas can alleviate the pressure of un-controlled emissions of CO₂ and bring enormous economic benefits. Advantageous Ni-catalysts have good CO₂ hydrogenation activity and high CO selectivity merely over 700 °C. Herein, we introduced Cu into Ni catalysts, which were evaluated by H₂-TPR, XRD, BET, in-situ XPS and CO₂-TPD, and their CO₂ hydrogenation activity and CO selectivity were significantly affected by the Ni/Cu ratios, which was rationalized by the synergistic effect of bimetallic catalysts. In addition, the reduction temperatures of studied catalysts apparently affected the CO₂ hydrogenation, which were caused by the number and dispersion of the active species. It's found that the Ni₁Cu₁-400 had good stability, high CO selectivity (up to 90%), and fast formation rate (1.81×10⁻⁵ mol/g_cat/s) at 400 °C, which demonstrated a good potential as a superior catalyst for reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction.     

Development of high performance Cu/ZnO-based catalysts for methanol synthesis and the water-gas shift reaction

Our groups studies on Cu/ZnO-based catalysts for methanol synthesis via hydrogenation of CO₂ and for the water-gas shift reaction are reviewed. Effects of ZnO contained in supported Cu-based catalysts on their activities for several reactions were investigated. The addition of ZnO to Cu-based catalyst supported on Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ or SiO₂ improved its specific activity for methanol synthesis and the reverse water-gas shift reaction, but did not improve its specific activity for methanol steam reforming and the water-gas shift reaction. Methanol synthesis from CO₂ and H₂ over Cu/ZnO-based catalysts was extensively studied under a joint research project between National Institute for Resources and Environment (NIRE; one of the former research institutes reorganized to AIST) and Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE). It was suggested that methanol should be produced via the hydrogenation of CO₂, but not via the hydrogenation of CO, and that H₂O produced along with methanol should greatly suppress methanol synthesis. The Cu/ZnO-based multicomponent catalysts such as Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ and Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂/Al₂O₃/Ga₂O₃ were highly active for methanol synthesis from CO₂ and H₂. The addition of a small amount of colloidal silica to the multicomponent catalysts greatly improved their long-term stability during methanol synthesis from CO₂ and H₂. The purity of the crude methanol produced in a bench plant was 99.9 wt% and higher than that of the crude methanol from a commercial methanol synthesis from syngas. The water-gas shift reaction over Cu/ZnO-based catalysts was also studied. The activity of Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst for the water-gas shift reaction at 523 K was less affected by the pre-treatments such as calcination and treatment in H₂ at high temperatures than that of the Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst. Accordingly, the Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst was considered to be more suitable for practical use for the water-gas shift reaction. The Cu/ZnO/ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst was also highly active for the water-gas shift reaction at 673 K. Furthermore, a two-stage reaction system composed of the first reaction zone for the water-gas shift reaction at 673 K and the second reaction zone for the reaction at 523 K was found to be more efficient than a one-stage reaction system. The addition of a small amount of colloidal silica to a Cu/ZnO-based catalyst greatly improved its long-term stability in the water-gas shift reaction in a similar manner as in methanol synthesis from CO₂ and H₂.     

单原子Ge助剂修饰Cu(111)晶面上CO2加氢制甲醇的机理研究

针对CO₂热催化转化制甲醇过程中CO₂吸附、活化较困难及副产物较多的问题,提出采用单原子Ge助剂修饰Cu(111)晶面的解决思路,通过密度泛函理论(DFT)计算研究了CO₂在Ge-Cu(111)晶面上加氢合成甲醇的反应机理。结果表明,单原子Ge助剂的电子调控增加了与其相邻的 Cu 原子的电子云密度,使 CO₂分子在含 Ge 活性界面上的吸附能力显著增强:CO₂在 Ge-Cu(111)晶面上的吸附能约为Cu(111)晶面的1.5倍,约为Pd改性Cu(111)晶面的2.4倍,进而使逆水煤气变换(RWGS)反应路径速控步骤的活化能降低了近 20 kJ·mol^-1,同时衍生出 3条生成甲醇的 RWGS新路径;此外,Ge-Cu(111)晶面上甲酸盐路径由于速控步骤活化能大幅上升而被禁阻,进而CO及烃类等副产物选择性大幅降低,Ge-Cu(111)晶面上CO₂加氢制甲醇选择性升高。     

The effect of spinel type support FeAlO<Subscript>3</Subscript>, ZnAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>, CrAl<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> on physicochemical properties of Cu,Ag, Au,Ru supported catalysts for methanol synthesis

The comparative study of the role of binary oxide support on catalyst physico-chemical properties and performance in methanol synthesis were undertaken and the spinel like type structures (ZnAl₂O₄, FeAlO₃, CrAl₃O₆) were prepared and used as the supports for 5% metal (Cu, Ag, Au, Ru) dispersed catalysts. The monometallic 5% Cu/support and bimetallic 1% Au (or 1% Ru)-5% Cu/support (Al₂O₃, ZnAl₂O₄, FeAlO₃, CrAl₃O₆) catalysts were investigated by BET, XRD and TPR methods. Activity tests in methanol synthesis of CO and CO₂ mixture hydrogenation were carried out. The order of Cu/support catalysts activity in methanol synthesis: CrAl₃O{ia6} > FeAlO₃ > ZnAl₂O₄ is conditioned by their reducibility in hydrogen at low temperature. Gold appeared more efficient than ruthenium in promotion of Cu/support catalysts. Published in Russian in Kinetika i Kataliz, 2009, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 242–248. The article is published in the original.     

单原子Ge助剂修饰Cu(111)晶面上CO2加氢制甲醇的机理研究

针对CO₂热催化转化制甲醇过程中CO₂吸附、活化较困难及副产物较多的问题,提出采用单原子Ge助剂修饰Cu (111)晶面的解决思路,通过密度泛函理论(DFT)计算研究了CO₂在Ge-Cu(111)晶面上加氢合成甲醇的反应机理。结果表明,单原子Ge助剂的电子调控增加了与其相邻的Cu原子的电子云密度,使CO₂分子在含Ge活性界面上的吸附能力显著增强：CO₂在Ge-Cu(111)晶面上的吸附能约为Cu (111)晶面的1.5倍,约为Pd改性Cu(111)晶面的2.4倍,进而使逆水煤气变换(RWGS)反应路径速控步骤的活化能降低了近20 kJ·mol^-1,同时衍生出3条生成甲醇的RWGS新路径;此外,Ge-Cu(111)晶面上甲酸盐路径由于速控步骤活化能大幅上升而被禁阻,进而CO及烃类等副产物选择性大幅降低,Ge-Cu(111)晶面上CO₂加氢制甲醇选择性升高。     

New process of low-temperature methanol synthesis from CO/CO2/H2 based on dual-catalysis

A new process of low-temperature methanol synthesis from CO/CO₂/H₂ based on dual-catalysis has been developed. Some alcohols, especially 2-alcohol, were found to have high catalytic promoting effect on the synthesis of methanol from CO hydrogenation. At 443 K and 5 MPa, the synthesis of methanol could process high effectively, resulting from the synergic catalysis of Cu/ZnO solid catalyst and 2-alcohol solvent catalyst. The primary results showed that when 2-butanol was used as reaction solvent, the one-pass average yield and the selectivity of methanol, in 40 h continuous reaction at temperature as low as 443 K and 5 MPa, were high up to 46.51% and 98.94% respectively. The catalytic activity was stable and the reaction temperature was 80 K or so lower than that in current industry synthesis process. This new process hopefully will become a practical method for methanol synthesis at low temperature.     

以类水滑石为前驱体的Cu/Zn/Al/(Zr)/(Y)催化剂制备及其催化CO_2加氢合成甲醇的性能

采用共沉淀法合成了Cu:Zn:Al:Zr:Y原子比分别为2:1:1:0:0、2:1:0.8:0.2:0、2:1:0.8:0:0.2和2:1:0.8:0.1:0.1的Cu/Zn/Al/(Zr)/(Y)类水滑石化合物.将前驱体材料在空气中500°C焙烧后得到复合金属氧化物,并将其用于CO2加氢合成甲醇反应.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、热重(TG)分析、N2吸附、氧化亚氮(N2O)反应吸附、氢气程序升温还原(H2-TPR)和H2/CO2程序升温脱附(H2/CO2-TPD)技术对所制备的样品进行表征.结果表明,Zr和Y的引入使得催化剂BET比表面积大幅增加,金属铜的比表面积和分散度均按以下顺序依次增加:Cu/Zn/AlCu/Zn/Al/ZrCu/Zn/Al/YCu/Zn/Al/Zr/Y,然而,强碱位数目占总碱位数目的比例的变化顺序为:Cu/Zn/AlCu/Zn/Al/YCu/Zn/Al/Zr/YCu/Zn/Al/Zr.活性评价结果揭示CO2转化率取决于金属铜的比表面积,甲醇选择性则随强碱位比例的增加而线性增加.因而,Zr和Y的引入有利于甲醇的合成,Cu/Zn/Al/Zr/Y催化剂上的甲醇收率最高.     

CO2 Hydrogenation on Cu/Al2O3: Role of the Metal/Support Interface in Driving Activity and Selectivity of a Bifunctional Catalyst

Selective hydrogenation of CO₂ into methanol is a key sustainable technology, where Cu/Al₂O₃ prepared by surface organometallic chemistry displays high activity towards CO₂ hydrogenation compared to Cu/SiO₂, yielding CH₃OH, dimethyl ether (DME), and CO. CH₃OH formation rate increases due to the metal–oxide interface and involves formate intermediates according to advanced spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Al₂O₃ promotes the subsequent conversion of CH₃OH to DME, showing bifunctional catalysis, but also increases the rate of CO formation. The latter takes place 1) directly by activation of CO₂ at the metal–oxide interface, and 2) indirectly by the conversion of formate surface species and CH₃OH to methyl formate, which is further decomposed into CH₃OH and CO. This study shows how Al₂O₃, a Lewis acidic and non‐reducible support, can promote CO₂ hydrogenation by enabling multiple competitive reaction pathways on the oxide and metal–oxide interface.     

Stabilization of Cu/ZnO Based Catalysts by Nickel Additive in Methanol Decomposition

A series of Cu/Zn based catalysts with and without Ni, prepared by the co-precipitation method, has been studied for methanol decomposition. CO and H2 are the major products. The Cu/Zn catalysts show a low initial activity and a poor stability. The formation of the CuZn alloys was observed in the deactivated Cu/Zn catalysts which were used for methanol decomposition at 250 . When small amounts of Ni were added in the catalyst, the Cu/Zn/Ni(molar ratio 5/4/ x) catalysts showed a high activity at a low temperature. The activity and the stability of the catalyst depend on the nickel content. The activity of the Cu/Zn/Ni catalysts was maintained at a. relatively stable value of 78% conversion of methanol with 95% selectivity of H2, 93% selectivity of CO, and a more than 70% yield of hydrogen was obtained at 250 C when x >1. The stability of the Cu/Zn/Ni (molar ratio 5/4/x) catalysts showed the maximum (ca 88%) when x=1. The stabilization effect of nickel on the Cu/Zn based catalysts may lead to the increasin     

CO2‐to‐Methanol Hydrogenation on Zirconia‐Supported Copper Nanoparticles: Reaction Intermediates and the Role of the Metal–Support Interface

Methanol synthesis by CO₂ hydrogenation is a key process in a methanol‐based economy. This reaction is catalyzed by supported copper nanoparticles and displays strong support or promoter effects. Zirconia is known to enhance both the methanol production rate and the selectivity. Nevertheless, the origin of this observation and the reaction mechanisms associated with the conversion of CO₂ to methanol still remain unknown. A mechanistic study of the hydrogenation of CO₂ on Cu/ZrO₂ is presented. Using kinetics, in situ IR and NMR spectroscopies, and isotopic labeling strategies, surface intermediates evolved during CO₂ hydrogenation were observed at different pressures. Combined with DFT calculations, it is shown that a formate species is the reaction intermediate and that the zirconia/copper interface is crucial for the conversion of this intermediate to methanol.     

Methanol‐Assisted Autocatalysis in Catalytic Methanol Synthesis

Catalytic methanol synthesis is one of the major processes in the chemical industry and may grow in importance, as methanol produced from CO₂ and sustainably derived H₂ are envisioned to play an important role as energy carriers in a future low‐CO₂‐emission society. However, despite the widespread use, the reaction mechanism and the nature of the active sites are not fully understood. Here we report that methanol synthesis at commercially applied conditions using the industrial Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst is dominated by a methanol‐assisted autocatalytic reaction mechanism. We propose that the presence of methanol enables the hydrogenation of surface formate via methyl formate. Autocatalytic acceleration of the reaction is also observed for Cu supported on SiO₂ although with low absolute activity, but not for Cu/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The results illustrate an important example of autocatalysis in heterogeneous catalysis and pave the way for further understanding, improvements, and process optimization of industrial methanol synthesis.     

柠檬酸辅助固相研磨法制备铜基催化剂及在CO_2加氢合成甲醇反应中的性能研究

通过柠檬酸辅助固相研磨法制备铜基催化剂,采用XRD、TPR、TG-DSC、SEM、BET、TEM、XPS、CO_2-TPD等手段对催化剂性能进行表征.结果表明室温固相研磨的前驱体在惰性气体N_2中焙烧使体系中的CuO绝大部分被原位还原成Cu~0,不需外加H_2还原,直接制得了C/I-Cu/ZnO催化剂,催化剂具有中孔.利用高压固定床连续反应装置对催化剂活性进行了评价,结果表明,柠檬酸用量、前驱体焙烧温度、焙烧升温速率等条件对催化剂活性产生影响,当C_6H_8O_7/(Cu+Zn)摩尔比为1.2/1并Cu/Zn摩尔比1/1,前驱体在N_2中以3 K·min~(-1)升温速率于623 K焙烧3 h,制得的C/I-Cu/ZnO催化剂比表面积最大,Cu~0粒径最小,在CO_2加氢合成甲醇反应中表现出最佳的活性,CO_2转化率、甲醇选择性和产率分别达到了28.28%、74.29%和21.01%.与外加H_2还原的C/H-Cu/ZnO催化剂相比,原位还原C/I-Cu/ZnO催化剂比表面积较大,Cu~0的粒径较小,活性较高.     

凝胶网格共沉淀法制备Cu/ZnO/Al2O3合成甲醇催化剂

随着工业污染和温室效应等环境问题及能源危机和资源危机的日益严重,以二氧化碳为原料催化合成甲醇等化学品已成为C;化工研究中最重要的前沿课题之一[‘－’j．CO。加氢合成甲醇的研究虽已有     

液相还原法制备Cu/Zn/Al/Zr催化剂用于CO2加氢合成甲醇

近年来,由于大气CO2浓度增加引起的温室效应正日益威胁着人类的生存与发展,CO2的捕获与利用是有望解决温室效应和能源危机的有效途径.CO2催化转化为甲醇成为众多研究者关注的焦点,这是因为甲醇不仅是一种重要的基本化工原料,也是一种洁净的绿色燃料和能源载体.Cu基催化剂广泛应用于CO2加氢合成甲醇反应,并表现出良好的催化性能.通常,金属催化剂的制备是采用H2对金属氧化物进行还原.然而,传统的气相还原过程伴随着强烈的热效应,且需要在高温(473-573 K)下进行,会引起表面铜颗粒长大并加速其聚集烧结,使得活性组分利用率下降.近年来,以NaBH4为还原剂的液相还原法逐渐受到人们的重视,该方法操作简单、快捷且条件可控,反应在低温下进行,放出的热量可在液相环境中迅速得到转移,大大抑制了铜颗粒的聚集.因此,液相还原法可制备出高铜分散度、高活性的催化剂.焙烧温度对铜基催化剂结构和催化性能的影响已得到广泛探究,但这仅限于含二价铜物种催化剂,焙烧温度对含多种铜价态催化剂的影响未见报道.由于液相还原法制备的催化剂含有还原态的铜物种(Cu0和Cu+),它们比Cu2+具有更强的流动性,因此在后续的焙烧过程中催化剂更容易发生烧结和聚集.本文采用液相还原法合成了Cu/Zn/Al/Zr催化剂,分别于423,573,723和873 K焙烧后用于CO2加氢合成甲醇反应,考察了焙烧温度对制备的铜基催化剂结构性质和催化性能的影响,并与传统共沉淀法制备的催化剂进行了对比.结果显示,随着焙烧温度升高,铜物种聚集作用增强,金属铜颗粒尺寸增大,873 K时烧结出现显著增强.由于比表面积随焙烧温度升高而减小,高温度焙烧的催化剂具有小的表面碱性位数目.焙烧温度会影响催化剂中铜物种与其它组分的相互作用,进而影响催化剂的还原.随着焙烧温度的升高,催化剂的还原温度逐渐降低,表面Cu+/Cu0的比例先增后减.CO2加氢活性评价显示,液相还原法制备的催化剂具有更高的催化活性,尤其是甲醇选择性;随着焙烧温度升高,催化剂的CO2转化率和甲醇选择性先增后减,CZAZ-573催化剂具有最高活性,且在1000 h长周期活性测试中表现稳定.CO2转化率与催化剂暴露金属铜的比表面积密切相关.相比Cu0,产物甲醇更容易在Cu+表面催化生成,催化剂表面的Cu+/Cu0比与甲醇选择性的变化规律一致.通过调控焙烧温度可得到高Cu比表面积以及高Cu+/Cu0比的催化剂,有利于CO2加氢生成甲醇.     

On the hydrogenation of CO and CO2 over copper/zirconia and palladium/zirconia catalysts

Summary Zirconia-supported hydrogenation catalysts were obtained by activation of the amorphous precursors Cu₇₀Zr₃₀ and Pd₂₅Zr₇₅ under CO₂ hydrogenation conditions. Catalysts of comparable compositions prepared by co-precipitation and wet impregnation of zirconia with copper- and palladium salts, respectively, served as reference materials. The catalyst surfaces under reaction conditions were investigated by diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy. Carbonates, formate, formaldehyde, methylate and methanol were identified as the pivotal surface species. The appearance and surface concentrations of these species were correlated with the presence of CO₂ and CO as reactant gases, and with the formation of either methane or methanol as reaction products. Two major pathways have been identified from the experimental results. i) The reaction of CO₂/H₂-mixtures on Cu/zirconia and Pd/zirconia primarily yields surface formate, which is hydrogenated to methane without further observable intermediates. ii) The catalytic reaction between CO and hydrogen yields -bonded formaldehyde, which is subsequently reduced to methylate and methanol. Interestingly, there is no observable correlation between absorbed formaldehyde or methylate on the one hand, and gas phase methane on the other hand. The reactants, CO₂ and CO, can be interconverted catalytically by the water gas shift reaction. The influence of the metals on this system of coupled reactions gives rise to different product selectivities in CO₂ hydrogenation reactions. On zirconia-supported palladium catalysts, surface formate is efficiently reduced to methane, which consequently appears to be the principal CO₂ hydrogenation product. In contrast, there is a favorable reaction pathway on copper in which CO is reduced to methanol without C-O bond cleavage; surface formate does not participate significantly in this reaction. In CO₂ hydrogenations on copper/zirconia, methanol can be obtained as the main product, from a sequence of the reverse water gas shift reaction followed by CO reduction.     

Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO on CuO Enables Selective and Efficient Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuels

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, if powered by renewable electricity, could serve as a sustainable technology for carbon recycling and energy storage. Among all the products, ethanol is an attractive liquid fuel. However, the maximum faradaic efficiency of ethanol is only ≈10 % on polycrystalline Cu. Here, CuZn bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by in situ electrochemical reduction of ZnO‐shell/CuO‐core bi‐metal‐oxide. Dynamic evolution of catalyst was revealed by STEM‐EDS mapping, showing the migration of Zn atom and blending between Cu and Zn. CuZn bimetallic catalysts showed preference towards ethanol formation, with the ratio of ethanol/ethylene increasing over five times regardless of applied potential. We achieved 41 % faradaic efficiency for C₂₊ liquids with this catalyst. Transitioning from H‐cell to an electrochemical flow cell, we achieved 48.6 % faradaic efficiency and ?97 mA cm^?2 partial current density for C₂₊ liquids at only ?0.68 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1 m KOH. Operando Raman spectroscopy showed that CO binding on Cu sites was modified by Zn. Free CO and adsorbed *CH₃ are believed to combine and form *COCH₃ intermediate, which is exclusively reduced to ethanol.     

Doped-ZrO2 Aerogels: Catalysts of Controlled Structure and Properties

Doped ZrO₂ aerogels (characterised by TEM, DTA and N₂ adsorption) have been prepared and catalytically tested in CO/CO₂ hydrogenation [1] and CH₄ oxidation [2]. The primary aerogels showed cross-linked clusters of (X-ray) amorphous particles smaller than 5 nm which led to well-developed mesoporous solids with an average pore size of about 10 nm and high surface area (up to 250 m²g⁻¹) [1]. Cu/ZrO₂ aerogels (known to be very active and selective towards methanol synthesis in CO hydrogenation without predominant formation of alkanes even at higher temperatures [1]) are now seen to show these effects even more clearly in CO₂ hydrogenation. In methane oxidation, both Rh/ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃/ZrO₂ were very active. Consideration is given to the nature of the active sites, the role of CO₂ and metal/oxide interfaces and how an understanding of this reactivity can lead to better dispersed ZrO₂.     

In-Situ-Formed Potassium-Modified Nickel-Zinc Carbide Boosts Production of Higher Alcohols beyond CH4 in CO2 Hydrogenation

Ni-based catalysts have been widely studied in the hydrogenation of CO₂ to CH₄, but selective and efficient synthesis of higher alcohols (C₂₊OH) from CO₂ hydrogenation over Ni-based catalyst is still challenging due to successive hydrogenation of C1 intermediates leading to methanation. Herein, we report an unprecedented synthesis of C₂₊OH from CO₂ hydrogenation over K-modified Ni−Zn bimetal catalyst with promising activity and selectivity. Systematic experiments (including XRD, in situ spectroscopic characterization) and computational studies reveal the in situ generation of an active K-modified Ni−Zn carbide (K-Ni₃Zn₁C_0.7) by carburization of Zn-incorporated Ni⁰, which can significantly enhance CO₂ adsorption and the surface coverage of alkyl intermediates, and boost the C−C coupling to C₂₊OH rather than conventional CH₄. This work opens a new catalytic avenue toward CO₂ hydrogenation to C₂₊OH, and also provides an insightful example for the rational design of selective and efficient Ni-based catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation to multiple carbon products.     

Methanol Synthesis by co2 Hydrogenation over Titanium Modified γ -al2o3 Supported Copper Catalysts

A titanium-modified . -Al₂ O₃ supported copper catalyst has been prepared and used for methanol synthesis by CO₂ hydrogenation. The addition of Ti to the CuO/. -Al₂ O₃ catalyst enhances the activity in CO₂ hydrogenation greatly and makes the copper in the catalyst exist in much smaller crystallites. The effect of contact time on the relative selectivity ( 6 CH₃OH /SCO ) and selectivity of methanol was also investigated. The results indicated that methanol was formed directly from the hydrogenation of CO₂ .     

Methanol-Assisted Autocatalysis in Catalytic Methanol Synthesis

Catalytic methanol synthesis is one of the major processes in the chemical industry and may grow in importance, as methanol produced from CO₂ and sustainably derived H₂ are envisioned to play an important role as energy carriers in a future low-CO₂-emission society. However, despite the widespread use, the reaction mechanism and the nature of the active sites are not fully understood. Here we report that methanol synthesis at commercially applied conditions using the industrial Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst is dominated by a methanol-assisted autocatalytic reaction mechanism. We propose that the presence of methanol enables the hydrogenation of surface formate via methyl formate. Autocatalytic acceleration of the reaction is also observed for Cu supported on SiO₂ although with low absolute activity, but not for Cu/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The results illustrate an important example of autocatalysis in heterogeneous catalysis and pave the way for further understanding, improvements, and process optimization of industrial methanol synthesis.