Synthesis of n-butanol-rich C₃₊ alcohols by direct CO₂ hydrogenation over a stable Cu-Co tandem catalyst

The direct conversion of CO2 into liquid fuels and chemical heterogeneous catalysts is considered a promising route to mitigate global warming issues. However, the production of n-butanol-rich C3+ alcohol from CO2 remains a significant challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that a Cu-rich bimetallic Cu-Co catalyst can achieve an unprecedentedly high space-time yield (STYC3+OH) of 80.8 mg g(-1) h(-1). The decoration of Co nanoparticles onto the dendritic Cu substrate established a crucial balance between CHx and CH3O* and regulated C-C coupling, which is a prerequisite for C3+ alcohol synthesis. We provide new mechanistic insights into n-butanol synthesis involving the C-O bond dissociation of an acetaldehyde intermediate on the interfacial Cu-Co site and subsequent C-C bond formation on the Cu site. Furthermore, the Cu-Co catalyst exhibited exceptional stability up to 1000 h by effectively suppressing re-oxidation and carbon deposition. The Cu-Co catalyst has great potential for large-scale CO2 hydrogenation to C3+ alcohol owing to its high selectivity and remarkable stability.