Selective conversion of syngas to C4+ long-chain alcohols

Yihui Li,1,† Ziang Zhao,1,† Miao Jiang,1 Guoqing Wang,1 Zheng Li,1,2 Wei Lu,1 Wenhao Cui,1 Rong Liu,4 Ronghe Lin,3,* Yu Meng,4,* Yuan Lyu,1 Li Yan,1,* Hejun Zhu,1,*& Yunjie Ding1,3,5,*

The selective conversion of syngas to C4+ long-chain alcohols holds significant industrial and scientific interest, but challenges in product selectivity and process efficiency remain. Here, we report a precisely catalytic strategy for C4+ alcohol synthesis with a record-breaking selectivity of 80% at 17% CO conversion. The reaction channel involves: (i) the development Cs2O-Co2C-Co catalysts, capable of catalyzing CO hydrogenation to long-chain oxygenates/olefins; and (ii) complete conversion to C4+ alcohols is subsequently achieved on the single-Rh-site and Cu-ZrO2 interfaces by integrated cooperative catalysis. A comprehensive catalyst design and compatibility assessment of each catalytic module ensures optimal combinations, meanwhile effectively eliminates costly separation steps, and reduces CO2 selectivity down to 1%. The developed process achieves ultra-high carbon-efficiency (>95%) and improves oxygen-efficiency, effectively overcoming the key limitations of current syngas conversion technologies and thus representing a competitive and sustainable solution for producing high-value long-chain alcohols with a minimal carbon footprint.