Reduction Characteristics of Ceria under Ethanol Steam Reforming Conditions: Effect of the Particle Size

Deactivation-free ethanol steam reforming at nickel-tipped carbon filaments

Ni based catalysts have been widely studied for H2 production due to the ability of Ni to break C-C and C-H bonds. In this work, we study inverse catalysts prepared by well-controlled sub-monolayer deposition of CeO2 nanocubes onto Ni thin films for ethanol steam reforming (ESR). Results show that controlling the coverage of CeO2 nanocubes on Ni enhances H2 production by more than an order of magnitude compared to pure Ni. Contrary to the idea that C deposits must be continuously oxidized for sustained H2 production, the surface of the most active catalysts show significant C deposition, yet no deactivation is observed. HAADF-STEM analysis reveals the formation of carbon filaments (CFILs), which propel Ni particles upward at the filament tips via a catalytic tip growth mechanism, resulting in a Ni@CFIL active phase for ESR. Near-ambient pressure XPS indicates that the Ni@CFIL active phase forms as a result of C gradients at the interface between regions of pure Ni metal and domains of closely packed CeO2 nanocubes. These results show that the mesoscale morphology of deposited CeO2 nanocubes is responsible for templating the formation of a Ni@CFIL catalyst, which resists deactivation leading to highly active and stable H2 production from ethanol.

Solvothermal Synthesis Routes to Substituted Cerium Dioxide Materials

We review the solution-based synthesis routes to cerium oxide materials where one or more elements are included in place of a proportion of the cerium, i.e., substitution of cerium is performed. The focus is on the solvothermal method, where reagents are heated above the boiling point of the solvent to induce crystallisation directly from the solution. This yields unusual compositions with crystal morphology often on the nanoscale. Chemical elements from all parts of the periodic table are considered, from transition metals to main group elements and the rare earths, including isovalent and aliovalent cations, and surveyed using the literature published in the past ten years. We illustrate the versatility of this synthesis method to allow the formation of functional materials with applications in contemporary applications such as heterogeneous catalysis, electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells, photocatalysis, luminescence and biomedicine. We pick out emerging trends towards control of crystal habit by use of non-aqueous solvents and solution additives and identify challenges still remaining, including in detailed structural characterisation, the understanding of crystallisation mechanisms and the scale-up of synthesis.

Ce(OH)2Cl and lanthanide-substituted variants as precursors to redox-active CeO2 materials

The cerium(iii) hydroxide chloride Ce(OH)2Cl crystallises directly as a polycrystalline powder from a solution of CeCl3·7H2O in poly(ethylene) glycol (Mn = 400) heated at 240 °C and is found to be isostructural with La(OH)2Cl, as determined from high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (P21/m, a = 6.2868(2) Å, b = 3.94950(3) Å, c = 6.8740(3) Å, β = 113.5120(5)°). Replacement of a proportion of the cerium chloride in synthesis by a second lanthanide chloride yields a set of materials Ce1-xLnx(OH)2Cl for Ln = La, Pr, Gd, Tb. For La the maximum value of x is 0.2, with an isotropic expansion of the unit cell, but for the other lanthanides a wider composition range is possible, and the lattice parameters show an isotropic contraction with increasing x. Thermal decomposition of the hydroxide chlorides at 700 °C yields mixed-oxides Ce1-xLnxO2-δ that all have cubic fluorite structures with either expanded (Ln = La, Gd) or contracted (Ln = Pr, Tb) unit cells compared to CeO2. Scanning electron microscopy shows a shape memory effect in crystal morphology upon decomposition, with clusters of anisotropic sub-micron crystallites being seen in the precursor and oxide products. The Pr- and Tb-substituted oxides contain the substituent in a mixture of +3 and +4 oxidation states, as seen by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy at the lanthanide LIII edges. The mixed oxide materials are examined using temperature programmed reduction in 10%H2 in N2, which reveals redox properties suitable for heterogeneous catalysis, with the Pr-substituted materials showing the greatest reducibility at lower temperature.

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.

Influence of Preparation Conditions on the Performance of Ni-Based Catalysts for Glycerol Steam Reforming

The effect of preparation conditions on the performance of Ni-based catalysts was investigated for glycerol steam reforming. La0.7Ce0.3NiO3 mixed oxides were synthesized using different solution concentrations and calcination temperatures by a co-precipitation method. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, inductively coupled plasma, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, CO2-temperature-programmed desorption, thermal gravity analysis, and Raman spectroscopy were performed to characterize the catalysts. With an La2NiO4 phase at lowest solution concentration, a catalyst precursor included an LaNiO3 phase instead of La2NiO4 at other solution concentrations. At a low calcination temperature of 700 °C, it was found that the smaller particle size of CeO2 incorporated more lanthanum and higher surface basicity, and the La2O2CO3 phase could effectively inhibit and eliminate coking leading to the better performance of catalysts.

Morphology-dependent oxygen vacancies and synergistic effects of Ni/CeO2 catalysts for N2O decomposition

Strong morphology-dependent oxygen vacancies and synergistic effects of Ni/CeO₂ catalysts and their vital effects on N₂O decomposition.

Ceria-based model catalysts: fundamental studies on the importance of the metal–ceria interface in CO oxidation, the water–gas shift, CO2 hydrogenation, and methane and alcohol reforming

Model metal/ceria and ceria/metal catalysts have shown to be excellent systems for studying fundamental phenomena linked to the operation of technical catalysts.

Pressure Regulations on the Surface Properties of CeO2 Nanorods and Their Catalytic Activity for CO Oxidation and Nitrile Hydrolysis Reactions

Surface properties of nanoscale CeO2 catalysts in terms of the surface Ce(3+) fraction and concentration of oxygen vacancy can affect their catalytic performance significantly. Continual adjustment on surface properties of CeO2 with the morphological preservation has not been realized by synthetic methods. The revisited studies show that surface properties of CeO2 nanorods can be effectively regulated by synthetic pressures while the rodlike morphology is well-preserved. Such phenomena are ascribed to the contact possibility between Ce(3+) species and dissolved O2, which is balanced by the rapidly increased and gradually saturated dissolution/recrystallization rate of Ce(OH)3 and linearly increased concentration of dissolved O2 with the increase of total air pressure or partial pressure of O2. Surface-property-dependent catalytic activity of CeO2 nanorods synthesized under various pressures was also demonstrated in two benchmark reactions-catalytic oxidation of CO and hydrolysis of nitrile. Such a finding of the pressure regulation on the reducible metal oxides provides an effective approach to rationally design novel catalysts for specific reactions, where ceria are supports, promoters, or actives.

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.

Continuous catalytic upgrading of ethanol to n-butanol over Cu–CeO2/AC catalysts

Cu–CeO₂/AC catalysts exhibited the highest n-butanol yields (21.6% and nearly 20%) under mild reaction conditions in batch and fixed-bed reactors, respectively, which could be ascribed to the synergy of Cu, CeO₂ and the activated carbon support.

Ambient pressure XPS and IRRAS investigation of ethanol steam reforming on Ni–CeO2(111) catalysts: an in situ study of C–C and O–H bond scission

In situ investigation of the surface chemistry of ethanol steam reforming & metal-oxide interactions over Ni–CeOx(111).

Probing the interaction of Rh, Co and bimetallic Rh-Co nanoparticles with the CeO2 support: catalytic materials for alternative energy generation

The interaction of CeO2-supported Rh, Co and bimetallic Rh-Co nanoparticles, which are active catalysts in hydrogen production via steam reforming of ethanol, a process related to renewable energy generation, was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy ion scattering (LEIS). Furthermore, diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of adsorbed CO as a probe molecule was used to characterize the morphology of metal particles. At small loadings (0.1%), Rh is in a much dispersed state on ceria, while at higher contents (1-5%), Rh forms 2-8 nm particles. Between 473-673 K pronounced oxygen transfer from ceria to Rh is observed and at 773 K significant agglomeration of Rh occurs. On reduced ceria, XPS indicates a possible electron transfer from Rh to ceria. The formation of smaller ceria crystallites upon loading with Co was concluded from XRD and HRTEM; for 10% Co, the CeO2 particle size decreased from 27.6 to 10.7 nm. A strong dissolution of Co into ceria and a certain extent of encapsulation by ceria were deduced by XRD, XPS and LEIS. In the bimetallic system, the presence of Rh enhances the reduction of cobalt and ceria. During thermal treatments, reoxidation of Co occurs, and Rh agglomeration as well as oxygen migration from ceria to Rh are hindered in the presence of cobalt.

Growth and composition of nanostructured and nanoporous cerium oxide thin films on a graphite foil

The morphology and composition of CeOx films prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering on a graphite foil have been investigated mainly by using microscopy methods. This study presents the formation of nanocrystalline layers with porous structure due to the modification of a carbon support and the formation of cerium carbide crystallites as a result of the deposition process. Chemical analyses of the layers with different thicknesses performed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have pointed to the reduction of the cerium oxide layers. In the deposited layers, cerium was present in mixed Ce(3+) and Ce(4+) valence. Ce(3+) species were located mainly at the graphite foil-CeOx interface and the chemical state of cerium was gradually changing to Ce(4+) going to the layer surface. It became more stoichiometric in the case of thicker layers except for the surface region, where the presence of Ce(3+) was associated with oxygen vacancies on the surface of cerium oxide grains. The degree of cerium oxide reduction is discussed in the context of particle size.

Recent advances in methanation catalysts for the production of synthetic natural gas

This review summarizes the recent progress in methanation catalysts for SNG production, which will provide insights for future catalysts design.

Strategies for improving the performance and stability of Ni-based catalysts for reforming reactions

Owing to the considerable publicity that has been given to petroleum related economic, environmental, and political problems, renewed attention has been focused on the development of highly efficient and stable catalytic materials for the production of chemical/fuel from renewable resources. Supported nickel nanoclusters are widely used for catalytic reforming reactions, which are key processes for generating synthetic gas and/or hydrogen. New challenges were brought out by the extension of feedstock from hydrocarbons to oxygenates derivable from biomass, which could minimize the environmental impact of carbonaceous fuels and allow a smooth transition from fossil fuels to a sustainable energy economy. This tutorial review describes the recent efforts made toward the development of nickel-based catalysts for the production of hydrogen from oxygenated hydrocarbons via steam reforming reactions. In general, three challenges facing the design of Ni catalysts should be addressed. Nickel nanoclusters are apt to sinter under catalytic reforming conditions of high temperatures and in the presence of steam. Severe carbon deposition could also be observed on the catalyst if the surface carbon species adsorbed on metal surface are not removed in time. Additionally, the production of hydrogen rich gas with a low concentration of CO is a challenge using nickel catalysts, which are not so active in the water gas shift reaction. Accordingly, three strategies were presented to address these challenges. First, the methodologies for the preparation of highly dispersed nickel catalysts with strong metal-support interaction were discussed. A second approach-the promotion in the mobility of the surface oxygen-is favored for the yield of desired products while promoting the removal of surface carbon deposition. Finally, the process intensification via the in situ absorption of CO2 could produce a hydrogen rich gas with low CO concentration. These approaches could also guide the design of other types of heterogeneous base-metal catalysts for high temperature processes including methanation, dry reforming, and hydrocarbon combustion.