Bimetallic Pt–Ni composites on ceria-doped alumina supports as catalysts in the aqueous-phase reforming of glycerol†
Abstract
Although Pt is the most appropriate catalyst for aqueous phase reforming (APR) of glycerol to generate H2, it is expensive. We studied its possible minimisation to levels where acceptable H2 yields are still maintained. When an additional catalytic metal, Ni, was introduced to our Pt/CeO2–Al2O3 catalyst, the Pt content could be reduced from 3 to 1 wt%, with a slight increase in H2 production. In this study, Pt and Ni in various ratios were supported on alumina doped with 3 wt% ceria, and the resulting materials were characterised and tested as catalysts for the APR of glycerol. Amongst the catalysts tested, bimetallic 1Pt–6Ni/3CeAl (containing 1 wt% Pt and 6 wt% Ni) gave the highest H2 yield (86%) and gas-phase C yield (94%). Thus, although 1Pt–6Ni/3CeAl and our reported 3Pt/3CeAl catalyst produced almost same amount of H2 (1.8 and 1.9 mmol, respectively) per gram of catalyst per hour, the latter produced three times as much H2 per gram of Pt per hour (195 mmol); this measure is crucial to the competitiveness of a catalyst in large-scale H2 production. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and thermogravimetric analyses of the spent catalysts showed no serious catalyst deactivation by carbon deposition after 30 h on stream, except in the case of Pt-free 6Ni/3CeAl, which ceased to produce H2 after 15 h on stream. XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses demonstrated that adding Ni impacted both the crystallite and electronic structure of Pt. These effects likely conspired to produce the high glycerol conversion and gas phase C yield and, ultimately, the high H2 yield observed over 1Pt–6Ni/3CeAl.