TITLE: Probe molecule studies: Active species in alcohol synthesis.  Eleventh quarterly report, April 1993--June 1993.

AUTHOR: D. G. Blackmond;   I. Wender;   R. Oukaci;   J. Wang.

INST.  AUTHOR: Pittsburgh Univ., PA. Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Jun 93,  12p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE94001976INW

ABSTRACT:

The goal of this research is to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms of formation of alcohols and other oxygenates from syngas over supported catalysts. Probe molecules are added in situ during the reaction to help delineate reaction pathways and identify reaction intermediate species. The key of our study is to investigate how the species generated by these probe molecules interact with surface species present during oxygenate formation. The catalysts chosen for this investigation is Co/Cu/ZnO/Al(sub 2)O(sub 3). Detailed motivations for studying this system as well as using CH(sub 3)NO(sub 2) as the probe molecule were given in a previous report. Summary of progress: (A) CO hydrogenation reactions were carried out over a series of Cu/Co/Cr catalysts prepared by coprecipitation method by Murty's group. The results were compared with the data obtained with ZC45 catalyst as well as the Co(0, 5, 10%)/Cu/ZnO/Al(sub 2)O(sub 3) catalysts. (B) High pressure reduction found to enhance both activity and selectivity of the Co-Cu catalysts for Cl-C6 alcohol synthesis was used to retest some of the catalysts which had already been studied. (C) Experiments of nitromethane addition to the CO hydrogenation over ZC45 with both the conventional and the new reduction treatment and over the Co(10%)/Cu/ZnO/Al(sub 2)O(sub 3) catalyst reduced at high pressure have been carried out to study the reaction mechanism.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/90305-T12

CONTRACT  NUMBER: FG22-90PC90305