Methanol synthesis on Cu(100) from a binary gas mixture of CO2 and H2

The rate of methanol synthesis over a Cu(100) single crystal from a 1 1 mixture of CO₂ and H₂ has been measured at a total pressure of 2 bar and a temperature range of 483–563 K. At these conditions the apparent activation energy is determined to be 69 kJ mol^–1, and at 543 K the turnover rate is 2.7 × 10^–4 (site s)^–1. A kinetic model for the methanol synthesis is presented. Predictions from this model are in good agreement with the rates of methanol synthesis observed on real catalysts at industrial conditions.