Production of methanol and ethanol from CO or CO

1. A process for preparing methanol and ethanol, comprising:

contacting a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen with a catalyst system comprising a ruthenium compound and a chloride or bromide-containing compound dispersed in a low-melting tetraorganophosphonium chloride or bromide salt under conditions effective to produce methanol and ethanol,

wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, alkyl chloride, alkyl bromide, and a triorganophosphonium salt.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting step is carried out in the presence of methanol.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises carbon monoxide.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the conditions effective to produce methanol and ethanol comprise a total pressure of 7 MPa to 25 MPa and a temperature of 150° C. to 220° C.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium compound is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium oxide, ruthenium chloride, ruthenium bromide, anhydrous ruthenium(IV) dioxide, ruthenium(IV) dioxide hydrate, ruthenium(VIII) tetraoxide, ruthenium(III) trichloride hydrate, ruthenium acetate, ruthenium propionate, ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate, triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, bis[ruthenium(tricarbonyl)dichloride], and bis[ruthenium(tricarbonyl)dibromide].

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is present in an amount sufficient to produce a Cl or Br-containing compound to Ru atom molar ratio of 0.2:1 to 0.8:1.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is hydrogen chloride or hydrogen bromide.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is a triorganophosphonium salt having the general formula (II):

[R 1 R 2 R 3 PH][X 2 ]  (II)

wherein

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each independently selected from C 1 -C 24 alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon groups or functionalized alkyl or aryl groups containing ether, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or ester, amine, amide, thioether, phosphine oxide, nitrile, heteroaromatic, or fluorocarbon groups; and

X 2 is chloride or bromide.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein X 2 is chloride.

10. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the triorganophosphonium salt is tributylphosphonium chloride.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the molar ratio of the triorganophosphonium salt to Ru atom ranges from 0.2:1 to 0.6:1.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the tetraorganophosphonium salt has the general formula (I):

[R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 P][X 1 ]  (I)

wherein

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently selected from C 1 -C 24 alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon groups or functionalized alkyl or aryl groups containing ether, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or ester, amine, amide, thioether, phosphine oxide, nitrile, heteroaromatic, or fluorocarbon groups; and

X 1 is chloride or bromide.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein X 1 is chloride.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the tetraorganophosphonium salt is tetrabutylphosphonium chloride.

15. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the volumetric ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide is from 0.01:1 to 100:1.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the volumetric ratio of carbon dioxide to hydrogen is from 0.1:1 to 1:1.

17. A process for preparing methanol and ethanol, comprising:

contacting a mixture of carbon monoxide and water with a catalyst system comprising a ruthenium compound and a chloride or bromide-containing compound dispersed in a low-melting tetraorganophosphonium chloride or bromide salt under conditions effective to produce methanol and ethanol.

18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the contacting step is carried out in the presence of methanol.

19. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the contacting step is carried out in the absence of hydrogen.

20. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the conditions effective to produce methanol and ethanol comprise a total pressure of 7 MPa to 25 MPa and a temperature of 150° C. to 220° C.

21. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the ruthenium compound is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium oxide, ruthenium chloride, ruthenium bromide, anhydrous ruthenium(IV) dioxide, ruthenium(IV) dioxide hydrate, ruthenium(VIII) tetraoxide, ruthenium(III) trichloride hydrate, ruthenium acetate, ruthenium propionate, ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate, triruthenium dodecacarbonyl, bis[ruthenium(tricarbonyl)dichloride], and bis[ruthenium(tricarbonyl)dibromide].

22. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is hydrogen chloride or hydrogen bromide.

23. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the chloride or bromide-containing compound is a triorganophosphonium salt having the general formula (II):

[R 1 R 2 R 3 PH][X 2 ]  (II)

wherein

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are each independently selected from C 1 -C 24 alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon groups or functionalized alkyl or aryl groups containing ether, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or ester, amine, amide, thioether, phosphine oxide, nitrile, heteroaromatic, or fluorocarbon groups; and

X 2 is chloride or bromide.

24. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the tetraorganophosphonium salt has the general formula (I):

[R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 P][X 1 ]  (I)

wherein

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently selected from C 1 -C 24 alkyl or aryl hydrocarbon groups or functionalized alkyl or aryl groups containing ether, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or ester, amine, amide, thioether, phosphine oxide, nitrile, heteroaromatic, or fluorocarbon groups; and

X 1 is chloride or bromide.