A series of chromium-promoted copper catalysts with various Cr to Cu molar ratios were prepared with the co-precipitation method. The promotional effects of chromium on copper catalysts were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrous oxide decomposition, and the dehydrogenation reaction of ethanol. The dehydrogenation reaction was carried out in a continuous-flow microreactor between 523 and 583 K under atmospheric pressure. The results indicated that the promotional effect was dependent on the Cr/Cu molar ratio, and the predominant decay of catalysts in this study was caused by sintering. The catalyst with the Cr/Cu molar ratio of 4/40 has the highest activity and stability. The surrounded well-dispersed chromia strongly influenced the catalytic properties of copper metal. It also showed that the over-promotion of a catalyst has a disastrous effect on the total make of product. The ethanol dehydrogenation reaction follows a first-order reaction, and the kinetics for deactivation can be described by a second-order expression.
