A new procedure to produce carbon-supported metal catalysts

Abstract Mechanically strong carbon support bodies of a narrow size distribution are produced from the renewable biomass resources cellulose and table sugar. To this end Micro Crystalline Cellulose (MCC) spheres or partially Carbonized Sucrose (CS) spheres prepared by hydrothermal treatment of a sucrose solution were used. Via wet impregnation these spheres are easily loaded with various base metal salt precursors. By keeping the loaded spheres in a stagnant inert nitrogen atmosphere at elevated temperatures (500 °C-800 °C) the metal salt precursors are reduced to the corresponding metals without an external hydrogen gas source. During pyrolysis the MCC/CS spheres provide the required reducing environment.