Aqueous-phase reforming of hydroxyacetone solution to bio-based H2 over supported Pt catalysts

Abstract

Aqueous-phase reforming (APR) is an attractive process to produce bio-based hydrogen from waste biomass streams, during which the catalyst stability is often challenged due to the harsh reaction conditions. In this work, three Pt-based catalysts supported on C, AlO(OH), and ZrO2 were investigated for the APR of hydroxyacetone solution in a fixed bed reactor at 225 °C and 35 bar. Among them, the Pt/C catalyst showed the highest turnover frequency for H2 production (TOF of 8.9 molH2 molPt−1 min−1) and the longest catalyst stability. Over the AlO(OH) and ZrO2 supported Pt catalysts, the side reactions consuming H2, formation of coke, and Pt sintering result in a low H2 production and the fast catalyst deactivation. The proposed reaction pathways suggest that a promising APR catalyst should reform all oxygenates in the aqueous phase, minimize the hydrogenation of the oxygenates, maximize the WGS reaction, and inhibit the condensation and coking reactions for maximizing the hydrogen yield and a stable catalytic performance.