Sugar-Mediated Structural Regulation of Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

The performance of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol strongly depends on catalyst structure, which can be effectively regulated through the synthesis method. Herein, different sugars (xylose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose) were utilized as complexing agents in the sol–gel method to prepare Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 catalysts with varying physicochemical properties, thereby enabling the establishment of structure–activity relationships. The catalytic test results showed that the catalyst prepared with the assistance of glucose (CZZ-Glc) exhibited superior catalytic performance, with a STY of 316.87 mg gcat−1 h−1, CO2 conversion of 12.44%, and methanol selectivity of 59.36% at 240 °C, 3 MPa, and GHSV = 12,000 mL gcat−1 h−1. Structural characterizations revealed that the CZZ-Glc catalyst had a smaller particle size and a higher Cu surface area, which strengthened the interactions between active phases. Additionally, XPS results revealed that more oxygenated carbon groups (C–O and C=O) were present on the CZZ-Glc catalyst. Both features could facilitate H2 spillover, leading to an increased concentration of surface *H species. In situ DRIFTS experiments revealed that CO2 hydrogenation to methanol over the obtained catalyst followed the formate pathway, and that hydrogenation of adsorbed CO2 and intermediates was obviously promoted on the CZZ-Glc catalyst. These results highlight the importance of synthesis strategy in regulating catalyst structure and provide new insights into the development of high-performance catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol.