Direct Syngas-To-Ethanol Conversion over Lithium-Promoted Rh/MgO Catalysts

Abdellah Ait El Fakir; Pengfei Du; Li Wan; Hong Li Pan; Shirun Zhao; Nazmul Hasan M.D. Dostagir; Evgeny A. Pidko; Ken Ichi Shimizu; Takashi Toyao; null More Authors

doi:10.1021/acscatal.4c05085

Direct Syngas-To-Ethanol Conversion over Lithium-Promoted Rh/MgO Catalysts

Abdellah Ait El Fakir, Pengfei Du, Li Wan, Hong Li Pan, Shirun Zhao, Nazmul Hasan M.D. Dostagir, Evgeny A. Pidko, Ken Ichi Shimizu^*, Takashi Toyao^*, More Authors

^*Corresponding author for this work

ChemE/Inorganic Systems Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Significant efforts have been dedicated to the direct syngas conversion into ethanol, however, achieving a high ethanol yield remains a formidable task. In this study, we present the direct syngas-to-ethanol conversion over Li-promoted RhOx/MgO catalyst (RhOx/Li2O/MgO). The ethanol space-time yield (EtOH STY) and selectivity reached 12.2 mmol gcat–1 h–1 and 20%, respectively, at a 35% CO conversion over the RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst. The RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst demonstrated superior performance in terms of both ethanol selectivity and STY compared to Rh/Li2O catalysts on other support materials and Rh/MgO catalysts promoted with other alkali metals. In situ/operando spectroscopic techniques, combined with other characterisations and theoretical calculations, have elucidated the interactions between Li2O and Rh on the MgO surface. These interactions promote the formation of new active sites and weaken CO adsorption on the Rh surface, thereby enhancing ethanol production. This work provides a promising strategy for improving ethanol yield in syngas conversion processes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2033-2044
Number of pages	12
Journal	ACS Catalysis
Volume	15
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.4c05085
Publication status	Published - 2025

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

ethanol synthesis
Li promotion
Rh-based catalysts
support effect
syngas conversion

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10.1021/acscatal.4c05085

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title = "Direct Syngas-To-Ethanol Conversion over Lithium-Promoted Rh/MgO Catalysts",

abstract = "Significant efforts have been dedicated to the direct syngas conversion into ethanol, however, achieving a high ethanol yield remains a formidable task. In this study, we present the direct syngas-to-ethanol conversion over Li-promoted RhOx/MgO catalyst (RhOx/Li2O/MgO). The ethanol space-time yield (EtOH STY) and selectivity reached 12.2 mmol gcat–1 h–1 and 20%, respectively, at a 35% CO conversion over the RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst. The RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst demonstrated superior performance in terms of both ethanol selectivity and STY compared to Rh/Li2O catalysts on other support materials and Rh/MgO catalysts promoted with other alkali metals. In situ/operando spectroscopic techniques, combined with other characterisations and theoretical calculations, have elucidated the interactions between Li2O and Rh on the MgO surface. These interactions promote the formation of new active sites and weaken CO adsorption on the Rh surface, thereby enhancing ethanol production. This work provides a promising strategy for improving ethanol yield in syngas conversion processes.",

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author = "{Ait El Fakir}, Abdellah and Pengfei Du and Li Wan and Pan, {Hong Li} and Shirun Zhao and Dostagir, {Nazmul Hasan M.D.} and Pidko, {Evgeny A.} and Shimizu, {Ken Ichi} and Takashi Toyao and {More Authors}",

note = "Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.",

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AU - Ait El Fakir, Abdellah

AU - Du, Pengfei

AU - Wan, Li

AU - Pan, Hong Li

AU - Zhao, Shirun

AU - Dostagir, Nazmul Hasan M.D.

AU - Pidko, Evgeny A.

AU - Shimizu, Ken Ichi

AU - Toyao, Takashi

AU - More Authors, null

N1 - Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Significant efforts have been dedicated to the direct syngas conversion into ethanol, however, achieving a high ethanol yield remains a formidable task. In this study, we present the direct syngas-to-ethanol conversion over Li-promoted RhOx/MgO catalyst (RhOx/Li2O/MgO). The ethanol space-time yield (EtOH STY) and selectivity reached 12.2 mmol gcat–1 h–1 and 20%, respectively, at a 35% CO conversion over the RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst. The RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst demonstrated superior performance in terms of both ethanol selectivity and STY compared to Rh/Li2O catalysts on other support materials and Rh/MgO catalysts promoted with other alkali metals. In situ/operando spectroscopic techniques, combined with other characterisations and theoretical calculations, have elucidated the interactions between Li2O and Rh on the MgO surface. These interactions promote the formation of new active sites and weaken CO adsorption on the Rh surface, thereby enhancing ethanol production. This work provides a promising strategy for improving ethanol yield in syngas conversion processes.

AB - Significant efforts have been dedicated to the direct syngas conversion into ethanol, however, achieving a high ethanol yield remains a formidable task. In this study, we present the direct syngas-to-ethanol conversion over Li-promoted RhOx/MgO catalyst (RhOx/Li2O/MgO). The ethanol space-time yield (EtOH STY) and selectivity reached 12.2 mmol gcat–1 h–1 and 20%, respectively, at a 35% CO conversion over the RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst. The RhOx/Li2O/MgO catalyst demonstrated superior performance in terms of both ethanol selectivity and STY compared to Rh/Li2O catalysts on other support materials and Rh/MgO catalysts promoted with other alkali metals. In situ/operando spectroscopic techniques, combined with other characterisations and theoretical calculations, have elucidated the interactions between Li2O and Rh on the MgO surface. These interactions promote the formation of new active sites and weaken CO adsorption on the Rh surface, thereby enhancing ethanol production. This work provides a promising strategy for improving ethanol yield in syngas conversion processes.

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KW - support effect

KW - syngas conversion

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JO - ACS Catalysis

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Direct Syngas-To-Ethanol Conversion over Lithium-Promoted Rh/MgO Catalysts

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Keywords

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