Comparison of the Quantitative Studies by Stem of Hydrated Hydroxycarbonates and Related Mixed Oxides Catalysts for co Hydrogenation to Alcohols

Through the example of investigation of Zn 1 Al 2 O 4 and Cu a Co b Zn c Al d mixed oxide catalyst precursors, a method of characterization is depicted, complementary to the overall methods (XRD, XPS, …). This method is based on the analysis by STEM of thin foils of the solids, obtained by ultramicrotomy. It enables to fully characterize all the different phases formed in such complex systems by their respective morphology, chemical composition, structure and proportion, and to visualize at a quasi-macroscopic scale their distribution. The new available information constitutes a guide to correlate catalytic properties with related characterization and to improve knowledge on catalyst preparation procedures.