Patent ID: 7449425

Claim:
An alcohol synthesis catalyst comprising: (a) at least one catalytically active metal or metal compound, active in producing alcohols from synthesis gas, and selected from the group consisting of rhodium, manganese, cobalt, copper, and mixtures thereof; and (b) a support for the at least one catalytically active metal or metal compound, wherein the support is an anionic clay comprising a hydrotalcite clay with an average spherical diameter of up to about 60 μm and having the formula: [M 2+ (1-x) M 3+ x (OH) 2 ] x+ (A n− x/n )·mH 2 O, wherein M 2+ is a metal ion having a valence of 2+, M 3+ is a metal ion having a valence of 3+, x is a number of about 0.10 to about 0.50, A n− is an anion having a negative charge of n, and m is 0 or a positive number, and wherein M 2+ and M 3+ are different from said at least one catalytically active metal or metal compound, with the at least one catalytically active metal or metal compound being on the support.