Quasi‐Homogeneous Methanol Synthesis Over Highly Active Copper Nanoparticles

Aluminum-stabilized copper colloids with a size of about 5 nm (see picture) are the key to a quasi-homogeneous version of the heterogeneously catalyzed synthesis of methanol from synthesis gas over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3. The catalyst productivity is very high in spite of the absence of ZnO.