The activity of a binary catalyst in alcoholic solvents for methanol synthesis from CO/H-2/CO2 at low temperature was investigated in a Concurrent synthesis course. Experiment results showed that the combination of homogeneous potassium formate catalyst and solid copper-magnesia catalyst enhanced the conversion of CO2-containing syngas to methanol at temperature of 423-443 K and pressure of 35 MPa. Under a contact time of 100 g h/mol, the maximum conversion of total carbon approached the reaction equilibrium and the selectivity of methanol was 99% A reaction pathway involving esterification and hydrogenolysis of esters was postulated based oil the integrative and separate activity tests, along with the structural characterization of the catalysts Both potassium formate for the esterification is well as Cu/MgO for the hydrogenolysis were found to be crucial to this homogeneous and heterogeneous synergistically catalytic system CO and H-2 were involved in the recycling of potassium formate. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.