An efficient ZnO/AC catalyst for selective decomposition of methyl formate to methanol and CO

Abstract

The selective catalytic decomposition of methyl formate (MF) to methanol (MeOH) and high-purity carbon monoxide (CO) can be achieved by developing efficient alkaline catalysts. We synthesized a kind of ZnO supported on an activated carbon named ZnO/AC catalyst. The catalyst with 2 wt% ZnO loading showed near 100% conversion of MF at 230 °C and 1 bar. This work showed that the basicity of the catalysts is crucial in determining catalytic performance and that loading a suitable alkalinity metal oxide on AC is an effective strategy for developing efficient MF to MeOH and CO catalysts.

Keywords

• MF decomposition to CO and MeOH
• ZnO/AC catalyst
• Moderate ZnO-AC interaction
• Efficient ZnO base sites