Nanoparticles of Cu–Co alloy derived from layered double hydroxides and their catalytic performance for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas

A series of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with different Cu/Co ratios were prepared according to the co-precipitation method and used as catalyst precursors for higher alcohol synthesis. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TPR, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. After calcination, the LDHs were transformed into a mixture of CuO, Co3O4, CuCo2O4 and alumina, and these oxides were mixed uniformly with sizes of several nanometers. For the sample with a ratio of Cu/Co = 1/2, the copper and cobalt species are mainly in the CuCo2O4 phase. In the reduction process, the superior mixed copper and cobalt species in nanoscale were reduced to Cu–Co alloy, which was confirmed by the XRD and TEM results. The prepared bimetallic catalysts showed high activity, good stability and very high selectivity to C2+ alcohols. With the best catalyst, CO conversion of 51.8%, selectivity to alcohols of 45.8% and 94.3 wt% of C2+OH in the total alcohols were obtained at 250 °C, 3 MPa and GHSV of 3900 mL (gcat h)−1.