A catalyst for the conversion of co2-rich syngas to methanol and conventional syngas to dimethyl ether

A supported copper catalyst comprising Cu, Zn, Al, Zr, Si, and O, wherein the catalyst comprises elemental copper, and wherein the catalyst displays a Zn:Si atomic ratio in the range of from 5:1 to 27:1,

• the catalyst obtained by a process comprising the steps of:
• (1) preparing a catalyst precursor comprising Cu, Zn, Al, Zr, Si, and O, according to a process comprising the steps of:
• (i) preparing a first aqueous solution Si comprising one or more copper containing compounds, one or more zinc containing compounds, one or more aluminum containing compounds, and one or more zirconium containing compounds, wherein the pH of Si is in the range of from 0 to 5;
• (ii) preparing a second aqueous solution S2, wherein the pH of S2 is adjusted to a value in the range of from 8.5 to 12;
• (iii) preparing an aqueous mixture M comprising a solid suspended in water, comprising feeding Si into S2 under agitation, wherein during said feeding, the pH of the aqueous mixture M resulting from said feeding is kept in the range of from 8 to 10;
• (iv) aging the aqueous mixture M obtained from (iii) for a duration in the range of from 1 to 12 h;
• and
• (v) separating the solid from the aqueous mixture obtained from (iv);
• wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added to M during the aging of M according to (iv), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii) and one or more silicon containing compounds are added to the mixture M during aging of M according to (iv);
• (2) reducing the catalyst precursor obtained from (1) in an atmosphere comprising hydrogen for obtaining the supported copper catalyst.

A catalyst precursor comprising Cu, Zn, Al, Zr, Si, and O, wherein the catalyst precursor displays a Zn:Si atomic ratio in the range of from 5:1 to 27:1,

• the catalyst precursor obtained by a process comprising the steps of:
• (i) preparing a first aqueous solution S1 comprising one or more copper containing compounds, one or more zinc containing compounds, one or more aluminum containing compounds, and one or more zirconium containing compounds, wherein the pH of S1 is in the range of from 0 to 5;
• (ii) preparing a second aqueous solution S2, wherein the pH of S2 is adjusted to a value in the range of from 8.5 to 12;
• (iii) preparing an aqueous mixture M comprising a solid suspended in water, comprising feeding S1 into S2 under agitation, wherein during said feeding, the pH of the aqueous mixture M resulting from said feeding is kept in the range of from 8 to 10;
• (iv) aging the aqueous mixture M obtained from (iii) for a duration in the range of from 1 to 12 h;
• and
• (iv) separating the solid from the aqueous mixture obtained from (iv);
• wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added to M during the aging of M according to (iv), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii) and one or more silicon containing compounds are added to the mixture M during aging of M according to (iv).

A process for the preparation of a catalyst precursor comprising Cu, Zn, Al, Zr, Si, and O, the process comprising:

• (i) preparing a first aqueous solution Si comprising one or more copper containing compounds, one or more zinc containing compounds, one or more aluminum containing compounds, and one or more zirconium containing compounds, wherein the pH of Si is in the range of from 0 to 5;
• (ii) preparing a second aqueous solution S2, wherein the pH of S2 is adjusted to a value in the range of from 8.5 to 12;
• (iii) preparing an aqueous mixture M comprising a solid suspended in water, comprising feeding Si into S2 under agitation, wherein during said feeding, the pH of the aqueous mixture M resulting from said feeding is kept in the range of from 8 to 10;
• (iv) aging the aqueous mixture M obtained from (iii) for a duration in the range of from 1 to 12 h;
• and
• (v) separating the solid from the aqueous mixture obtained from (iv);
• wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added to M during the aging of M according to (iv), or wherein one or more silicon containing compounds are added for preparing S2 according to (ii) and one or more silicon containing compounds are added to the mixture M during aging of M according to (iv).