CO + H2O = CO2 + H2 (1)
CO2 + H2 + ROH = HCOOR + H2O (2)
HCOOR + 2H2 = CH3OH + ROH (3)
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CO + 2H2 = CH3OH (4)

Methanol is being produced by 30-40 million ton per year from CO/CO2/H2. It is commercially produced by ICI process at high temperature and pressure (523-573 K, 50-100 bar), using Cu/ZnO. However, at high temperature, the exothermic reactions thermodynamically limit theoretic CO conversion to about 10% at 573 K and 50 bar. Therefore, developing a low-temperature process will greatly reduce the production cost. A new low-temperature methanol synthesis from CO/H2 containing CO2 was proposed via reactions (1) - (3) where ROH acts as a catalytic solvent. This new process showed the high activity and selectivity of MeOH synthesis (CO conversion of 50% and MeOH selectivity of 98%).