负载型Cu/Al2O3和Cu/ZnO催化剂上CO2加氢的原位FTIR及准原位XPS/HS-LEIS研究

铜基催化剂是工业合成甲醇中常用的催化剂,其主要包含Cu,ZnO,Al₂O₃三种组分,研究各组分在催化合成甲醇过程中的本质作用及其相互间的协同作用不仅是一个催化基础科学问题,同时对于设计和合成新型高性能的铜基催化剂也有重要指导作用.以往的研究主要针对Cu和ZnO二元组分,关于Al₂O₃的作用很少有报道,主要观点认为Al₂O₃起结构助剂的作用.在Cu/Al₂O₃/ZnO(0001)-Zn模型催化体系的研究中,我们发现Al₂O₃具有稳定Cu⁺的能力.为了更接近于实际催化体系,并进一步探索铜基催化剂中载体Al₂O₃及ZnO的作用,我们制备了负载型的5 wt%Cu/Al₂O₃及5 wt%Cu/ZnO催化剂,并通过原位傅里叶变换红外光谱(in situ FTIR)、准原位X射线光电子能谱(ex situ XPS)及高灵敏度低能离子散射谱(HS-LEIS),着重考察H₂还原及CO₂加氢过程中表面吸附物种的转变及催化剂表面结构变化,更深一步理解Cu,ZnO,Al₂O₃三组分在催化CO₂加氢过程中所起的作用及相互间的协同作用.通过XRD,BET和TEM表征,发现采用浸渍负载法制备的、经过焙烧后的5 wt%Cu/Al₂O₃及5 wt%Cu/ZnO催化剂的结构和形貌有明显差别,Al₂O₃载体具有较大的比表面积,CuO在其表面分散性较好,而ZnO的比表面积很小、CuO颗粒也相对较大.Ex situ XPS及HS-LEIS显示,经过H2还原后,Cu在Al₂O₃表面的颗粒粒径略有增大,表面仍有较大比例的Cu⁺物种.以CO为探针分子的FTIR光谱也表明,H2还原后5 wt%Cu/Al₂O₃存在一定量的Cu⁺,而5 wt%Cu/ZnO催化剂还原后形成Cu纳米粒子表面被ZnOx包覆,ex situ XPS及HS-LEIS的深度剖析也证实了上述结果.CO₂加氢过程中,5 wt%Cu/Al₂O₃表面能够形成大量碳酸氢盐及碳酸盐物种并在升温过程中逐渐转变为甲酸盐,表面仍有一定量的Cu⁺;5 wt%Cu/ZnO表面形成的碳酸盐及碳酸氢盐物种含量相对较少,但Cu-ZnOx的协同作用形成活化H2的高活性表面,在室温下就可以生成甲酸盐物种,在随后的升温过程中甲酸盐逐渐转变为甲氧基.通过对比负载型Cu/Al₂O₃及Cu/ZnO催化剂的研究,得以更加深入地理解铜基催化剂中载体在CO₂加氢制甲醇过程中所起的作用:Al₂O₃能较好分散Cu,且能够稳定Cu⁺;相对于ZnO,Al₂O₃具有较强的吸附CO₂能力,能够在表面形成大量的碳酸氢盐物种及碳酸氢盐物种,与表面Cu作用在升温过程中能够生成大量的甲酸盐物种;对于5 wt%Cu/ZnO在H2还原和CO₂加氢过程中Cu表面被ZnOx包覆,其高度缺陷的表面结构能在室温下解离H2.这些结果表明,实际CuZnAlO催化剂上CO₂加氢制备甲醇的活性位点可能包含Cu⁺,Cu0及相邻的具有高度缺陷结构的ZnOx包覆层.

In situ FTIR and ex situ XPS/HS-LEIS study of supported Cu/Al2O3 and Cu/ZnO catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation

Cu-based catalysts are commonly used in industry for methanol synthesis. In this study, supported catalysts of 5 wt％Cu/Al2O3 and 5 wt％Cu/ZnO were prepared, and their surface characteristics during H2 reduction and CO2 hydrogenation were investigated using in situ Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high sensitivity low energy ion scattering spectroscopy. During the H2 reduction and CO2 hydrogenation processes, it was found that Al2O3 can stabilize Cu+. In situ FTIR spectra indicated that the 5 wt％Cu/Al2O3 can adsorb large amounts of bicarbonate and carbonate species, which then convert into formate during CO2 hydro-genation. For the 5 wt％Cu/ZnO, it was found that Cu nanoparticles were gradually covered by a highly defective ZnOx overlayer during H2 reduction, which can effectively dissociate H2. During CO2 hydrogenation, the adsorbed bicarbonate or carbonate species can convert into formate and then into a methoxy species. Using these surface sensitive methods, a more in-depth understanding of the synergistic effect among the Cu, Al2O3, and ZnO components of Cu-based catalysts was achieved.