Non-Supported Heteroatom Modification Molybdenum-Based Catalyst for Synthesis Low-Carbon Alcohols from Coal-Based Syngas

Amid growing concerns over fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation, developing alternative energy sources is imperative. While MoS2-based catalysts are known for their syngas conversion activity, their selectivity toward alcohols remains limited. This study addresses this gap by developing Cu-promoted MoS2 catalysts to enhance alcohol synthesis. The results indicated that the introduction of copper significantly modulates the catalytic performance of MoS2. We demonstrate that incorporating Cu significantly modulates the catalytic properties of MoS2. The optimized catalyst with 9 wt% Cu loading exhibited a CO conversion of 17.9% and a markedly improved total alcohol selectivity of 46.4%, with a space-time yield of 67.6 mg·g−1·h−1. Although Cu addition slightly reduced CO conversion, it markedly improved alcohol selectivity by facilitating active site dispersion, suppressing Fischer-Tropsch side reactions, and stabilizing heteroatomic active phases. Finally, a catalytic mechanism for the synthesis of low-carbon alcohols from syngas on MoS2-based catalysts was proposed based on the catalyst analysis and reaction results.