Insights into the mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu(111) surface

Highlights: • The scission of C–OH bond of acetic acid is the rate-determined step in acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu(111). • Acetic acid adsorption and reaction barrier of C–OH scission of acetic acid are factors related to acetic acid conversion. • Acetaldehyde adsorption and reaction barriers of O–H formation of C₂–oxygenates are factors related to ethanol selectivity. - Abstract: Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to theoretically explain the reaction mechanism of acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol on Cu catalyst. The activation barriers of key elementary steps and the adsorption configurations of key intermediates involved in acetic acid hydrogenation on Cu(111) surface were investigated. The results indicated that the direct dissociation of acetic acid to acetyl (CH₃COOH → CH₃CO + OH) is the rate-determined step. The activation barrier of acetic acid scission to acetyl and the adsorption energy of acetic acid are two descriptors which could determine the conversion of acetic acid. The descriptors might have effects on the ethanol selectivity including: the adsorption energy of acetaldehyde and the activation barriers for O−H bond formation of C₂-oxygenates (CH₃CO + H → CH₃COH, CH₃CHO + H → CH₃CHOH and CH₃CH₂O + H → CH₃CH₂OH). These proposed descriptors could be used as references to design new Cu-based catalysts that have excellent catalytic performance.