# Liquid Metal Gallium Promotes the Activity and Stability of the Cu-ZnO Catalyst for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

## TL;DR

Adding liquid metal gallium to a Cu-ZnO catalyst improves methanol production from CO2, making the process more efficient and stable.

## Contribution

Using liquid metal gallium as an additive enhances catalyst stability and CO2 conversion in methanol synthesis.

## Key findings

- Gallium incorporation increases CO2 conversion to methanol through enhanced CO2 activation.
- Physical mixing of gallium creates strong alkaline sites, improving catalyst performance.
- Gallium suppresses carbon deposition, boosting long-term stability.

## Abstract

CO2 hydrogenation to methanol has attracted considerable attention as a promising catalytic route for both reducing CO2 emissions and producing valuable chemical intermediates. Among various catalysts, Cu–ZnO-based systems are the most widely studied; however, their performance remains constrained by limited methanol selectivity and stability, highlighting the need for improved catalytic strategies. In this work, liquid metal gallium (Ga) was incorporated into Cu–ZnO catalysts as an additive for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Owing to its high dispersibility and fluidity, Ga helps maintain long-term catalyst stability. We investigated different introduction methods for Ga promoters and found that the physical mixing approach generated the strongest alkaline sites, thereby enhancing CO2 activation and increasing the CO2 conversion to methanol. Moreover, this catalyst effectively suppressed carbon deposition, further improving its stability. These findings offer new insights into the use of liquid metal Ga in CO2 hydrogenation and provide fresh perspectives for the rational design of efficient methanol synthesis catalysts.