[Ce³⁺–O_V–Ce⁴⁺] Located Surface-Distributed Sheet Cu–Zn–Ce Catalysts for Methanol Production by CO₂ Hydrogenation

Abstract

The metal–support interaction is crucial for the performance of Cu-based catalysts. However, the distinctive properties of the support metal element itself are often overlooked in catalyst design. In this paper, a sheet Cu–Zn–Ce with [Ce 3+ –O V –Ce 4+ ] located on the surface was designed by the sol–gel method. Through EPR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the relationship between the content of oxygen vacancies and Ce was revealed. Ce itself induces the generation of [Ce 3+ –O V –Ce 4+ ]. Through ICP-MS, XPS, and SEM-mapping, the Ce-induced formation of [Ce 3+ –O V –Ce 4+ ] located on the catalyst surface was demonstrated. CO 2 -TPD and DFT calculations further revealed that [Ce 3+ –O V –Ce 4+ ] enhanced CO 2 adsorption, leading to a 10% increase in methanol selectivity compared to Cu–Zn–Ce synthesized via the coprecipitation method.