Novel Synthesis Techniques for Preparation of Co/CeO2 as Ethanol Steam Reforming Catalysts

Using Volatile Organic Compounds in Waste Streams as Fuel

To meet the environmental regulations, volatile organic compounds (VOC) in waste streams of various industries are thermally oxidized before being released to the atmosphere. This thermal oxidation process requires use of additional fuel and energy, has high operational costs and requires frequent maintenance. As an alternative, these VOCs can be considered as fuels themselves. Even without considering the energy used for the supplemental fuel such as natural gas, the enthalpy of the VOCs incinerated is not negligible. Hydrogen, a valuable energy carrier, can be produced from VOCs by reforming them. In this study, a system that can reform VOCs in the exhaust stream of paint finishing operations and use it to produce hydrogen that can be used in a fuel cell for power generation was designed. Steam reforming experiments were conducted on different VOCs using a 10 % Co/CeO2 catalyst. The effect of different functional groups and the chain length was examined. This study shows the potential of dilute VOCs in the waste stream of many industries if they can be recovered and used as a fuel effectively instead of being incinerated.

Catalytic Reforming of Oxygenates: State of the Art and Future Prospects

This Review describes recent advances in the design, synthesis, reactivity, selectivity, structural, and electronic properties of the catalysts for reforming of a variety of oxygenates (e.g., from simple monoalcohols to higher polyols, then to sugars, phenols, and finally complicated mixtures like bio-oil). A comprehensive exploration of the structure-activity relationship in catalytic reforming of oxygenates is carried out, assisted by state-of-the-art characterization techniques and computational tools. Critical emphasis has been given on the mechanisms of these heterogeneous-catalyzed reactions and especially on the nature of the active catalytic sites and reaction pathways. Similarities and differences (reaction mechanisms, design and synthesis of catalysts, as well as catalytic systems) in the reforming process of these oxygenates will also be discussed. A critical overview is then provided regarding the challenges and opportunities for research in this area with a focus on the roles that systems of heterogeneous catalysis, reaction engineering, and materials science can play in the near future. This Review aims to present insights into the intrinsic mechanism involved in catalytic reforming and provides guidance to the development of novel catalysts and processes for the efficient utilization of oxygenates for energy and environmental purposes.

An ab initio thermodynamics study of cobalt surface phases under ethanol steam reforming conditions

A combination of DFT and ab initio atomistic thermodynamics study illustrated the surface structure evolution of Co⁰/Co²⁺ catalysts under ethanol steam reforming conditions.