La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 powders are prepared by sol-gel method with aluminum isopropoxide and primarydistilled water as precursor and solvent. In this synthesized process, the obtained metal oxides caused the precursor such ascopper (II) nitrate hydrate and zinc (II) nitrate hexahydrate were added. To improve the surface areas of La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 powder, sorbitan (z)-mono-9-octadecenoate (Span 80) was added. The synthesized powder was calcined at varioustemperatures. The dopant was found to affect the surface area and particle size of the mixed oxide, in conjunction with thecalcined temperature. The structural analysis and textual properties of the synthesized powder were measured with an X-rayDiffractometer (XRD), a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Bruner-Emmett-Teller surface analysis (BET),Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal analysis (TG/DTA), 27Al solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and transforminfrared microspectroscopy (FT-IR). An increase of surface area with Span 80 was observed on La doped CuO-ZnO-Al2O3powders from 25m2/g to 41m2/g.

Al2O3 has received wide attention with established use as a catalyst and growing application in structural or functional ceramic materials. On the other hand, the boehmite (AlO(OH)) obtained by sol-gel process has exhibited a decrease in surface area during phase transformation due to a decline in surface active site at high temperature. In this work, Al2O3-CuO/ZnO (ACZ) and Al2O3-CuO/CeO (ACC) composite materials were synthesized with aluminum isopropoxide, copper (II) nitrate hemi (pentahydrate), and cerium (III) nitrate hexahydrate or zinc (II) nitrate hexahydrate. Moreover, the Span 80 as the template block copolymer was added to the ACZ/ACC composition to make nano size particles and to keep increasing the surface area. The ACZ/ACC synthesized powders were characterized by Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Field-Emmision Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Bruner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis and thermal electrical conductivity (ZEM-2:M8/L). An enhancement of surface area with the addition to Span 80 surfactant was observed in the ACZ powders from 105 m2/g to 142 m2/g, and the ACC powders from 103 m2/g to 140 m2/g, respectively.

Methanol is one of the clean burning fuel with versatile applications. As a combustion fuel, it provides extremely low emissions. Methanol can also be used as a primary transporation fuel or a fuel additive and expecially as a raw metalial for methyl t-butyl ether. Methanol synthesis from synthetic gas was carried out in the Ru-CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalytic system. The influence of various factors, such as the reaction temperature, the concentration of ruthenium (Ru) and the reaction pressure was discussed, respectively, and the most preferred condition were obtained. The results showed that metanol synthesis could be prepared from carbon monoxide and hydrogen under reaction conditions. The reaction of Ru-CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst (E-catalyst) was operated most preferably at 160oC and 40 bar.