This reaction is thermodynamically favorable and highly exothermic. Figure 4 shows the equilibrium composition of variousreactants and allowed products for reaction 1. Formation ofethanol and water decreases with increasing temperature, whilethat of CO and H2 increases. Thermodynamics suggests that COhydrogenation should be done below ∼300 C. Althoughmethanol is less thermodynamically favorable than ethanol, itis typically one of the main products of this reaction and must belimited kinetically.Ethanol can also be produced via homologation of methanol(eq 2). The reaction involves reductive carbonylation of methanolover a redox catalyst to form a CC bond and, thus, ethanol.18