Metal catalysts with low-alkali metal content and acid/metal bifunctional catalyst systems thereof

Methods of producing metal catalysts can include mixing two or more metal salts and an aluminum salt in water to produce a metal catalyst precursor solution; mixing the metal catalyst precursor solution and an alkali metal buffer solution to produce a precipitate; ion exchanging the alkali metal in the precipitate for a non-alkali cation to produce a low-alkali metal precipitate comprising 3 wt % or less alkali metal by weight of the precipitate on a dry basis; producing a powder from the low-alkali metal precipitate; and calcining the powder to produce a metal catalyst. Such metal catalysts may be useful in producing bifunctional catalyst systems that are useful in, among other things, converting syngas to dimethyl ether in a single reactor.