High-performance Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts for methanol steam reforming with enhanced Cu-ZnO synergy effect via magnesium assisted strategy

Abstract Methanol steam reforming (MSR) is an attractive approach to produce hydrogen for fuel cells. Due to the limited catalyst loading volume and frequent start-ups and shut-downs on board, it is highly desired to develop an extremely active and robust catalyst. Herein, on the basis of industrial Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts, a series of CuZnAl-xMg catalysts with enhanced Cu-ZnO synergy were synthesized via magnesium assisted strategy. The incorporation of magnesium was found to be beneficial to the enhancement of catalytic activity and stability of catalyst. A combination of complementary characterizations (e.g. XRD, H2-TPR, N2O chemisorption, TEM, XPS analysis etc.) proves that isomorphous substitution of Cu2+ in malachite phase gives rise to more dispersive Cu and ZnO NPs, and the increased Cu+/Cu0 ratio indicates the strengthened Cu-ZnO synergy effect, which leads to the boosted stability during the thermal treatment.