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In this study a high-pressure membrane reactor (MR) was employed to carry-out the methanol synthesis (MeS) reaction. Syngas was fed into the MR shell-side where a commercial MeS catalyst was used, while the tube-side is swept with a high boiling point liquid with good solubility towards methanol. A mesoporous alumina ceramic membrane was utilized, after its surface had been modified to be rendered more hydrophobic. The efficiency of the MR was investigated under a variety of experimental conditions (different pressures, temperatures, sweep liquid flow rates, and types of sweep liquids). The results reveal improved per single-pass carbon conversions when compared to the conventional packed-bed reactor. An ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) was utilized in the MR as the sweep liquid. The experimental results are compared to those previously reported by our Group (Li and Tsotsis, J. Membrane Sci., 2019) while using a conventional petroleum-derived solvent as sweep liquid, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TGDE). Enhanced carbon conversion (over the petroleum-derived solvent) was obtained using the IL.