Partial Oxidation of Methanol Over Dispersed Silver Catalysts at Moderate Temperatures

Supported silver catalysts displayed a moderate ignition temperature of Ti ∼ 100 °C in partial oxidation of methanol (POM). The moderate Ti was attributed to an enhanced adsorption of methanol on silver by co-adsorption of oxygen. The conversion of methanol increases with the reaction temperature and the ratio of oxygen to methanol. CO2 (instead of CO), H2 and H2O were found as the major product of POM. The selectivity of desired products, CO2 and H2, varied with the kind of support used in silver catalysts. A mechanism is proposed to account for the variation in the distribution of products.