Abstract
Cerium oxide was synthesized by thermal method using cerium carbonate hydrate and utilized as a catalysts support. Precipitation method was employed to deposit copper and magnesium oxides on the surface of cerium oxide. The synthesized Cu-Mg/CeO2 catalysts were characterized by different analytical techniques. FTIR studies confirmed the in -corporation of copper and magnesium oxides on cerium oxide surface. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) revealed uniform distribution of both metal oxides on cerium oxide support. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption studies recorded surface profile of CeO2 loaded Cu-Mg bimetallic catalysts. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed existence of Cu and Mg metals in the form of Cu2+ and Mg2+ on CeO2 surface. Furthermore, the role of Ce was apprehended by XPS investigations in terms of methanol synthesis rate. Activities studied of the synthesized catalysts revealed the promoting role of Cu-Mg composition with highest activity of 71 g.meth/kg.cat.h was recorded for 4Cu-6Mg/ CeO2 catalysts. The efficiency of CeO2 based Cu-Mg bimetallic catalysts was established by the comparative data from the literature in terms of methanol synthesis rate.(c) 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.