Interaction of CO with Cu/ZnO catalyst surfaces prepared in situ in the electron spectrometer: evidence for CO2- and related species relevant to methanol synthesis

Interaction of CO with the Cu/ZnO catalyst surfaces prepared in situ in the sample preparation chamber of the electron spectrometer has been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalyst surfaces contained different proportions of Cu1+ and Cu-0 species. Besides chemisorbed CO, CO2- and CO32- species are found on the catalyst surface, the proportion of CO2- and CO32- species relative to CO increasing with the Cu1+/Cu-0 ratio. This observation is of significance to methanol synthesis