Efficient Synthesis of Ethanol from CH4 and Syngas on a Cu-Co/TiO2 Catalyst Using a Stepwise Reactor

Ethanol synthesis from CH4 and syngas on a Cu-Co/TiO2 catalyst is studied using experiments, density functional theory (DFT) and microkinetic modelling. The experimental results indicate that the active sites of ethanol synthesis from CH4 and syngas are Cu and CoO, over which the ethanol selectivity is approximately 98.30% in a continuous stepwise reactor. DFT and microkinetic modelling results show that *CH3 is the most abundant species and can be formed from *CH4 dehydrogenation or through the process of *CO hydrogenation. Next, the insertion of *CO into *CH3 forms *CH3CO. Finally, ethanol is formed through *CH3CO and *CH3COH hydrogenation. According to our results, small particles of metallic Cu and CoO as well as a strongly synergistic effect between metallic Cu and CoO are beneficial for ethanol synthesis from CH4 and syngas on a Cu-Co/TiO2 catalyst.