Construction of Highly Active Cu-ZnO _<i>x</i> Interfaces and Performance in Methyl Acetate Hydrogenation to Ethanol

This research produced a number of Zn-modified Cu-based catalysts that were obtained by introducing Zn promoters at different timings of ammonia evaporation, and their activity in methyl acetate (MA) hydrogenation was also assessed. Through relatively systematic characterization of the catalytic properties of Zn-modified Cu-based catalysts, showed the fact that the dispersion of Cu and Zn species could be improved through the regulation of the timing for introducing the Zn promoter. When the Zn promoter was introduced after the formation of copper phyllosilicate (CuPS) and subsequent drying, highly dispersed Cu and Zn species could be achieved, thus highly active Cu-ZnOx interfaces were gained. The optimized Zn–Cu/SiO2-Dry catalyst exhibited remarkable performance in MA hydrogenation to ethanol, achieving 100% conversion and 98% ethanol selectivity sustained for 400 h, which was attributed to the synergy between abundant Cu0 active sites and highly active Cu-ZnOx interfaces.