The Synergistic Effect of CeO2 and Micron-Cu Enhances the Hydrogenation of CO2 to CO

The catalytic applications of micron Cu powder are limited due to its large particle size and small specific surface area. Modifying micro-Cu powder to achieve a high catalytic performance is a challenge in the application of micron copper. In this work, micro-Cu was used to synthesize a CeO2–Cu catalyst, and the phase composition and surface pore structure were analyzed using XRD, BET, etc. The CO2 hydrogenation performance of the CeO2–Cu catalyst was analyzed in comparison with CeO2 and Cu, and we found that the CeO2–Cu catalyst exhibited a synergistic effect between Cu and cerium, resulting in a much higher hydrogenation performance at 500 °C than CeO2 or Cu alone. H2-TPR and TEM characterization revealed that the CeO2–Cu catalyst formed interfacial interactions with a relatively large Ce–Cu interface, where cerium oxide could promote the reduction of CuO and lower the reduction temperature. Additionally, cerium oxide formed a confinement structure for Cu, and the CeO2–Cu catalyst exhibited a higher oxygen vacancy concentration, thereby promoting the CO2 hydrogenation performance. Cu–CeO2 interaction provides valuable insights into the catalytic application of micron Cu powder.