Syngas to higher alcohols: a review of catalyst design and progress

Abstract

Syngas-derived higher alcohols (C₂₊OH) are vital clean fuels under dual-carbon targets, yet inherent catalytic bottlenecks hinder industrialization. This review systematically correlates core defects across five mainstream catalyst families with targeted modification strategies and structure-selectivity rules. Cu-Co catalysts exhibit overly broad product distribution and phase segregation; La/Mn doping and plasma activation accelerate C-C coupling. Cu-Fe catalysts sinter easily and undergo phase separation; Mg/K/Ce doping and carrier tuning reinforce bimetallic interfacial synergy. Modified Cu methanol catalysts lack stable active sites; particle size control, pH adjustment, and ammonia evaporation enrich Cu-ZnO_x interfaces. Mo catalysts resist sulfur and carbon deposition but require harsh reaction conditions; K/La doping and porous carbon carriers improve long-chain alcohol selectivity. Rh catalysts exhibit excellent C₂₊OH selectivity but incur high noble-metal costs; single-atom immobilization reduces Rh consumption. Multifunctional tandem catalysts balance activity and selectivity via matched dual active sites. This study establishes a “bottleneck-modification” matching system, offering theoretical support for low-cost high-performance catalysts and industrial syngas-to-higher-alcohol technology.

Keywords

Dual carbon goal / higher alcohol synthesis / syngas / modified Fischer-Tropsch catalysts / Cu-Co catalyst / Cu-Fe catalyst

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