Poisoning of Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ Aqueous Phase Reforming Catalysts by Ketone and Diketone-Derived Surface Species

Strong adsorption of ketone and diketone byproducts and their fragmentation products during the aqueous phase reforming of biomass derived oxygenates is believed to be responsible for the deactivation of supported Pt catalysts. This study involves a combined experimental and theoretical approach to demonstrate the interactions of several model di/ketone poisons with Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. Particular di/ketones were selected to reveal the effects of hydroxyl groups (acetone, hydroxyacetone), conjugation with C=C bonds (mesityl oxide), intramolecular distance between carbonyls in diketones (2,3-butanedione, 2,4-pentanedione), and length of terminal alkyl chains (3,4-hexanedione). The formation of adsorbed carbon monoxide (1900-2100 cm^-1) as a decarbonylation product was probed using infrared spectroscopy and to calculate the extent of poisoning during subsequent methanol dehydrogenation based on the reduction of the ν(C≡O) band integral relative to experiments in which only methanol was dosed. Small Pt particles appeared less active in decarbonylation and were perhaps poisoned by strongly adsorbed di/ketones on undercoordinated metal sites and bulky conjugated species formed on the γ-Al₂O₃ support from aldol self-condensation. Larger Pt particles were more resistant to di/ketone poisoning due to higher decarbonylation activity yet still fell short of the expected yield of adsorbed CO from subsequent methanol activity. Vibrational spectra acquired using inelastic neutron scattering showed evidence for strongly binding methyl and acyl groups resulting from di/ketone decarbonylation on a Pt sponge at 250 °C. Adsorption energies and molecular configurations were obtained for di/ketones on a Pt(111) slab using density functional theory, revealing potential descriptors for predicting decarbonylation activity on highly coordinated metal sites. Calculated reaction energies suggest it is energetically favorable to reform surface methyl groups into adsorbed CO and H. However, the rate of this surface reaction is limited by a high activation barrier indicating that either improved APR catalyst designs or regeneration procedures may be necessary.