Production of hydrogen via methanol steam reforming over mesoporous CeO2–Cu/KIT-6 nanocatalyst: Effects of polar aprotic tetrahydrofuran solvent and ZrO2 promoter on catalytic performance

Abstract

In the present study, the preparation of CeO2–Cu/KIT-6 catalysts was made by the conventional impregnation approach using a polar protic solvent (ethanol), and a polar aprotic solvent (tetrahydrofuran (THF)) as well as ethylene glycol (EG)-assisted impregnation approach. The impact of the zirconium promoter on the catalytic activity of the catalyst was evaluated in methanol steam reforming (MSR). The characterization of the prepared catalysts was carried out by XRD, XRF, BET, FE-SEM, H2-TPR, and TEM analyses. According to the characterization outcomes, the application of THF as an impregnation solvent and incorporation of ZrO2 remarkably reduced the size of Cu particles and increased the dispersion of metal species. ZrO2-promoted CeO2–Cu/KIT-6 catalyst prepared using the THF solvent showed the most suitable catalytic activity with hydrogen selectivity of 99.8%, methanol conversion of 96%, and CO selectivity of 0.7% at 300 °C. Furthermore, the catalytic stability of the synthesized catalysts was investigated over 100 h of operation.