Modulation of Electronic Metal-Support Interaction between Cu and ZnO by Er for Effective Low-Temperature CO 2 Hydrogenation to Methanol

Methanol produced by CO 2 hydrogenation is an essential carrier for a sustainable carbon cycle. However, achieving an efficient methanol synthesis on traditional CuZnO catalysts at low temperatures remains challenging due to the inertness of CO 2 . Herein, we designed Er–CuZnO catalysts that exhibited remarkable activity for low-temperature methanol synthesis. At 170 °C, the catalyst achieved a methanol selectivity of 89.8% at a CO 2 conversion of 8.5% on Er 0.2 CuZnO, which outperformed most CuZnO-based catalysts. The particle size of ZnO was reduced after Er was added to the lattice, which increased the Cu–ZnO interfaces and created a strong electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) between Cu and ZnO. The electron was transferred from ZnO to Cu, forming Cu δ− . Cu δ− with more negative charges enhanced CO 2 adsorbed species and intermediates activation, while facilitating surface carbonate activation and the hydrogenation of *CO intermediates into *HCO species, promoting the methanol formation at low temperatures.