Construction of Synergistic Co and Cu Diatomic Sites for Enhanced Higher Alcohol Synthesis

Higher alcohol synthesis (HAS) from syngas could efficiently alleviate the dependence on the traditional fossil resources. However, it is still challenging to construct high-performance HAS catalysts with satisfying selectivity, space-time yield (STY), and stability. Herein, we designed a diatomic catalyst by anchoring Co and Cu sites onto a hierarchical porous N-doped carbon matrix (Co/Cu-N-C). The Co/Cu-N-C is efficient for HAS and is among the best catalysts reported. With a COconversion of 81.7%, C(2+)OHselectivity could reach 58.5% with an outstanding C2+OH STY of 851.8 mg/g center dot h. We found that the N-4-Co-1 and Cu-1-N-4 showed an excellent synergistic effect. The adsorption of CO occurred on the Co site, and the surrounding nitrogen sites served as a hydrogen reservoir for the CO reduction reactions to form CHxCo. Meanwhile, the Cu sites stabilized a CHOCu species to interact with CHxCo, facilitating a barrier-free formation of C-2 species, which is responsible for the high selectivity of higher alcohols.