US EPA

1225904 

Journal Article 

Steam reforming of methanol over CeO2- and ZrO2-promoted Cu-ZnO catalysts supported on nanoparticle Al2O3 

Jones, SD; Hagelin-Weaver, HE 

2009 

Yes 

Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
ISSN: 0926-3373 

90 

1-2 (Jul 2009) 

195-204 

English 

10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.03.013 

WOS:000267380100024 

Methanol steam reforming was studied over several ZrO sub(2)- and CeO sub(2)-promoted catalysts prepared by deposition of copper and zinc oxide precursors onto nanoparticle Al sub(2)O sub(3) and ZrO sub(2) supports. The catalysts were characterized using temperature programmed reduction (TPR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements, N sub(2)O decomposition, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the results were compared to a commercially available Cu/ZnO/Al sub(2)O sub(3) catalyst. It was found that the catalyst activities and CO selectivities are very dependent on both the catalyst preparation method and the ZrO sub(2) precursor. The best performing catalyst was prepared by co-impregnating Cu and ZnO precursors onto a physical mixture of nanoparticle ZrO sub(2) and nanoparticle Al sub(2)O sub(3). This catalyst resulted in a highly active reforming catalyst which also suppressed CO production. The turnover frequencies of catalysts containing ZrO sub(2) nanoparticles were notably higher than those of similar catalysts which contained impregnated ZrO sub(2), and dramatically higher than the commercially available reference catalyst. This indicates that the presence of ZrO sub(2) nanoparticles promotes a highly active copper surface. Addition of high surface area alumina was necessary to assure a reasonable Cu surface area. However, the catalytic activities of the catalysts in this study did not correlate with Cu surface area, total surface area, or reduction temperature. It is therefore postulated that the presence of a monoclinic ZrO sub(2) phase, which is a result of using a monoclinic nanoparticle ZrO sub(2) precursor, promotes methanol reforming and also suppresses methanol decomposition, both of which are desired in methanol reforming catalysts. 

Copper; surface area; Temperature; Catalysts; Decomposition; Zinc; Catalysis; X-ray diffraction