Effect of Basic-acidic Dopant over Cu/SiO2 Catalyst on Product Selectivity in Ethylene Carbonate Hydrogenation

Cerium and boron are commonly used components to tune the acidic/basic property of catalysts in industry. In this work, cerium or boron-doped copper-based catalysts (xM−Cu/SiO 2 , M=Ce/B) were prepared with the ammonia-evaporation method. Both X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy revealed that Cu + content increased along with the Ce-doping, but decreased by B-doping. NH 3 -Temperature Program Desorption results showed no change in the acidity of Ce-doped catalysts, while significant amounts of medium-strong acid sites appeared after B-doping. Application in ethylene carbonate hydrogenation indicates the promoting role of Ce-dopant in methanol production, while boron exhibits negative effects. The significant difference can be attributed to distinctive acidic/basic properties of Ce/B dopants, which affect the interaction between Cu and Si in the precursors, and thus adjust the ratio of Cu + /(Cu + +Cu 0 ). Graphical Ce promotes the interaction between copper and silicate, regulating the ratio of Cu + /(Cu + +Cu 0 ), and prompting the selectivity of methanol. On the contrary, B weakens the interaction and leads to poor catalytic performance.