Development of Catalysts for Synthesizing Methanol from Syngas

At present, methanol is one of the most basic organic chemical raw materials and energy storage media. With the development of chemical technology and energy storage technology, its application becomes more and more extensive, and the methanol market prospects are unlimited. Industrial-scale methanol is generally prepared by using synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide as raw materials and reacting under a certain pressure, temperature, and catalyst. Therefore, the development of the methanol industry largely depends on the development of catalysts and the improvement of their performance. Metal catalysts are mainly used in the industry for reaction. This article reviews several metal catalysts used to synthesize methanol from syngas. Copper-based and iron-based catalysts are widely used, and the emerging rhodium and its ligand catalysts exhibit good catalytic performance in low-temperature catalysis. In the future, the scientific research team will focus on in-depth research on preparation methods, active centers, catalytic reaction kinetics, durability, metal ligands, raw material prices, etc., to lay a solid foundation for the industrial application of syngas to methanol in advance. © 2022 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland.