High active and selective Ni/Ceo₂ –Al₂O₃ and Pd–Ni/Ceo₂ –Al₂O₃ catalysts for oxy-steam reforming of methanol

Herein, we report monometallic Ni and bimetallic Pd–Ni catalysts supported on CeO₂ –Al₂ O₃ binary oxide which are highly active and selective in oxy-steam reforming of methanol (OSRM). Monometallic and bimetallic supported catalysts were prepared by an impregnation method. The physicochemical properties of the catalytic systems were investigated using a range of methods such as: Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR–H₂), Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD–NH₃), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM–EDS). We demonstrate that the addition of palladium facilitates the reduction of nickel catalysts. The activity tests performed for all catalysts confirmed the promotion effect of palladium on the catalytic activity of nickel catalyst and their selectivity towards hydrogen production. Both nickel and bimetallic palladium–nickel supported catalysts showed excellent stability during the reaction. The reported catalytic systems are valuable to make advances in the field of fuel cell technology.