CO Hydrogenation to C2-oxygenates over Rh–Mn–Li/SiO2 Catalyst: Effects of Support Pretreatment with nC1–C5 Alcohols

The effects of support pretreatment with n C 1 –C 5 alcohols on the performance of Rh–Mn–Li/SiO 2 catalyst in the synthesis of C 2 -oxygenates from syngas have been investigated by CO hydrogenation reaction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), pulse adsorption of CO and H 2 , and Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The catalysts prepared from the pretreated silica supports exhibited higher space time yields of C 2 -oxygenates (STY C2-oxy ) and selectivities towards C 2 -oxygenates (S C2-oxy ) than that prepared from the untreated silica support. The enhancement in the hydrophobicity of the pretreated silica supports would be favorable for increasing Rh dispersion and ratio of Rh + /Rh 0 sites, therefore increasing the number of active sites, especially the active sites for CO insertion. Such variations are responsible for the improvements in the catalytic performance of the Rh–Mn–Li/SiO 2 catalyst.