Low-nuclearity CuZn Ensembles on ZnZrO Catalyze Methanol Synthesis from CO

Metal promotion could unlock high performance in zinc-zirconium catalysts, ZnZrO, for CO hydrogenation to methanol. Still, with most efforts devoted to costly palladium, the optimal metal choice and necessary atomic-level architecture remain unclear. Herein, we investigate the promotion of ZnZrO catalysts with small amounts (0.5 mol%) of diverse hydrogenation metals (Re, Co, Au, Ni, Rh, Ag, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Cu) prepared via a standardized flame spray pyrolysis approach. Cu emerges as the most effective promoter, doubling methanol productivity. Operando X-ray absorption, infrared, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses and density functional theory simulations reveal that Cu species form Zn-rich low-nuclearity CuZn clusters on the ZrO surface during reaction, which correlates with the generation of oxygen vacancies in their vicinity. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that this catalytic ensemble promotes the rapid hydrogenation of intermediate formate into methanol while effectively suppressing CO production, showcasing the potential of low-nuclearity metal ensembles in CO-based methanol synthesis.