La1−xCaxFe1−xCoxO3—a stable catalyst for oxidative steam reforming of ethanol to produce hydrogen

Abstract

La_1−xCa_xFe_1−xCo_xO₃ (x = 0.3, 0.5) perovskite-type oxide catalysts prepared by citric acid method were used for the steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) and oxidative steam reforming of ethanol (OSRE) to produce hydrogen. The anti-sintering and anti-coking properties of the catalysts for these two reactions have been investigated. The catalysts were characterized by temperature programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and thermal analysis techniques. The results indicated that the catalyst was highly selective to hydrogen, as well as very stable for OSRE reaction. The cobalt ions in the perovskite structure could be reduced to nanoparticles of metallic cobalt under the reduction atmosphere; the nano metallic cobalt could be oxidized and went back into the lattice of the perovskite structure under the oxidation atmosphere. The nanoparticles of metallic cobalt on the used catalyst could also be oxidized back into the perovskite structure. In the reaction process of OSRE, the cobalt species was possibly cycling as nanoparticles of metallic cobalt and cobalt ions in the perovskite structure, leading to its high anti-sintering stability.