Perovskites as Catalysts in the Reforming of Hydrocarbons: A Review

Abstract

The characteristics of perovskite-structure oxides and its role in the reforming of hydrocarbons are presented in this review. The main difficulties in these processes have been pointed as the coke formation, sulphur poisoning and thermal stability of metallic particles. In this context, the perovskite structure ABO3 represents attractive systems for those catalytic processes due to their easy-to-control physical and chemical properties derived from the wide range of ions and valences which can be accommodated in their structure. The B-site metal in perovskite oxide forms the primary active site, while the A-site metal has a strong effect on the stability. An overview is provided about perovskites studies (selection of formulation and control of the synthesis of perovskites for customising the crystallinity, electronic structure and morphology of catalysts at nanometric scale) adopted in the search for reforming catalysts that respond to the above challenges). Catalysts for reforming from perovskites have made remarkable progress in recent years, but there are various technical challenges, mainly activity and durability, that need to be addressed for future improvement. Keywords: Hydrocarbon, hydrogen, syngas, catalyst, reforming, partial oxidation, autothermal, perovskite, hydrogen economy, Carbon formation, Sulfur poisoning, Thermal stability, thermal and mechanical resistance, Catalytic Steam Reforming, adsorption