Abstract:
The project investigates promoted CuZnAl hydrogenation catalysts. The hydrogenation catalysts based on CuZn are promising catalysts for hydrogenation of chemical specialties, such as esters. CuZnAl catalysts will be synthesized under controlled conditions relying on co-precipitation, deposition and impregnation methods. The catalysts will be characterized in detail by physico-chemical characterization techniques. This will allow rationalizing the relationship between catalyst synthesis parameters and catalyst structure and its properties. The hydrogenation performance of the synthesized CuZnAl catalysts will be studied by hydrogenation of two model ester compounds (dimethyl adipate and methyl caproate) to the corresponding alcohols. This will facilitate the description of the relationship between the catalyst structure and properties, on the one hand, and catalyst activity and selectivity, on the other hand. The stability of the catalysts will be studied as well.
Goals:
The goal of the project is to describe the relationship between the composition, structure and properties of promoted CuZnAl catalysts and their catalytic activity and selectivity in hydrogenation and hydrogenolytic reactions.
