Structure and Activity of Pt-Ni Catalysts Supported on Modified Al2O3 for Ethanol Steam Reforming
Abstract:
Modification of alumina with La-, Ce-, Zr- and Mg-oxides was studied with the aim to use them as supports of bimetallic Pt-Ni catalysts for the steam reforming of ethanol. Activity results showed that modifications of Al2O3 support with the incorporation of La, Ce, Zr or Mg oxides play an essential role in the catalytic behaviour of PtNi catalysts. Bimetallic PtNi catalyst supported on bare Al2O3 showed evolution of the reaction products with time on stream consisting in the increase of C2H4 production with concomitant decrease of CH4 and CO2 production. The addition of Mg or Zr to γ-A1203 did not inhibit the appearance of ethylene but delayed its production. In the case of Ce- or La-supported catalysts, the product selectivities were stable with time-on-stream, with no changes being observed in the product distribution for 24 h. Characterization results showed that La- and Ce-containing supports improves the Pt and Ni metal exposure values. The better stability achieved for Ce and La containing catalysts was inferred to be related with a participation/assistance of lanthanum and cerium entities in the gasification of coke deposits together with a modification of Pt and Ni dispersion which lower the probability of the nucleation of coke precursors on their surfaces.
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Heterogeneous Catalysis


