The active chemical state of zinc (Zn) in a zinc-copper (Zn-Cu) catalyst during carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide (CO2/CO) hydrogenation has been debated to be Zn oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, metallic Zn, or a Zn-Cu surface alloy. We used x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 180 to 500 millibar to probe the nature of Zn and reaction intermediates during CO2/CO hydrogenation over Zn/ZnO/Cu(211), where the temperature is sufficiently high for the reaction to rapidly turn over, thus creating an almost adsorbate-free surface. Tuning of the grazing incidence angle makes it possible to achieve either surface or bulk sensitivity. Hydrogenation of CO2 gives preference to ZnO in the form of clusters or nanoparticles, whereas in pure CO a surface Zn-Cu alloy becomes more prominent. Here, the results reveal a specific role of CO in the formation of the Zn-Cu surface alloy as an active phase that facilitates efficient CO2 methanol synthesis.
Amann, Peter, et al. "The state of zinc in methanol synthesis over a <strong>Zn/ZnO/Cu(211)</strong> model catalyst." Science, vol. 376, no. 6593, May. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abj7747
Amann, Peter, Klötzer, Bernhard, Degerman, David, et al., "The state of zinc in methanol synthesis over a <strong>Zn/ZnO/Cu(211)</strong> model catalyst," Science 376, no. 6593 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abj7747
@article{osti_1908820,
author = {Amann, Peter and Klötzer, Bernhard and Degerman, David and Köpfle, Norbert and Götsch, Thomas and Lömker, Patrick and Rameshan, Christoph and Ploner, Kevin and Bikaljevic, Djuro and Wang, Hsin-Yi and others},
title = {The state of zinc in methanol synthesis over a <strong>Zn/ZnO/Cu(211)</strong> model catalyst},
annote = {The active chemical state of zinc (Zn) in a zinc-copper (Zn-Cu) catalyst during carbon dioxide/carbon monoxide (CO2/CO) hydrogenation has been debated to be Zn oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, metallic Zn, or a Zn-Cu surface alloy. We used x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 180 to 500 millibar to probe the nature of Zn and reaction intermediates during CO2/CO hydrogenation over Zn/ZnO/Cu(211), where the temperature is sufficiently high for the reaction to rapidly turn over, thus creating an almost adsorbate-free surface. Tuning of the grazing incidence angle makes it possible to achieve either surface or bulk sensitivity. Hydrogenation of CO2 gives preference to ZnO in the form of clusters or nanoparticles, whereas in pure CO a surface Zn-Cu alloy becomes more prominent. Here, the results reveal a specific role of CO in the formation of the Zn-Cu surface alloy as an active phase that facilitates efficient CO2 methanol synthesis.},
doi = {10.1126/science.abj7747},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1908820},
journal = {Science},
issn = {ISSN 0036-8075},
number = {6593},
volume = {376},
place = {United States},
publisher = {AAAS},
year = {2022},
month = {05}}
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SYNCHROTRON RADIATION INSTRUMENTATION – SRI2018, AIP Conference Proceedingshttps://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084611