Highly efficient β-SiC-supported 0.5% Rh-based catalyst for CO hydrogenation to C2 oxygenates

•First example of SiC supported Rh-Mn-Li catalyst for CO hydrogenation.•Only 0.5 wt% of Rh was adopted.•This catalyst exhibited the highest Rh efficiency ever reported.•Acid-etching or calcination of SiC was crucial for increasing catalyst activity.

β-SiC was used as a support for a 0.5% Rh-based catalyst for CO hydrogenation to C2 oxygenates for the first time. The β-SiC was acid etched and/or calcined at high temperature before use. The results show that the pretreatments had little effect on the textural and crystal properties of SiC, but calcination markedly increased the number of surface oxygen-containing groups. The pretreatment significantly increased the catalytic activities of SiC-supported RhMnLi/SiC catalysts in CO hydrogenation. An Rh efficiency of 97.2 g/g-Rh/h was achieved, the highest value reported in the literature to date. Possible reasons for this enhancement are suggested.

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