In situ FT-IR reveals ageing phenomena in the formation of a Cu/Zn/Zr methanol catalyst precursor

CO${}_2$-rich feeds reduce the carbon footprint of methanol using ZrO${}_2$-promoted Cu/ZnO catalysts. Suspension aging
is crucial for efficient production of those, likewise for Cu/ZnO/Al${}_2$O${}_3$ systems. We identified and tracked
markers by in/ex situ FTIR, required to deliver targeted zincian malachite. In addition, morphological changes
revealed by electron microscopy could be correlated to the respective time-resolved spectra. Based on this, the
optimization of the catalyst production process will be simplified