Ru–Ni/GA-MMO composites as highly active catalysts for CO selective methanation in H2-rich gases

CO selective methanation (CO-SMET) is as an ideal H₂-rich gases purification measurement for proton exchange membrane fuel cell system. Herein, the graphene aerogel-mixed metal oxide (GA-MMO) supported Ru–Ni bimetallic catalysts are exploited for CO-SMET in H₂-rich gases. The results reveal that a three-dimensional network structure GA-MMO aerogel with higher specific surface area, better thermal stability and more defects or structural disorders is formed when MMO:GO mass ratio is in the range of 1–4. After loading of Ru, more NiO are reduced to metallic Ni by hydrogen spillover effect, and thus obviously enhances the reactivity. The GA-MMO supported Ru–Ni catalyst exhibits more excellent metal dispersion, reducibility, stronger CO adsorption and activation than the MMO supported Ru–Ni catalyst, thereby resulting in better catalytic performance and stability. This work offers new insights into the construction of highly active catalyst for the efficient generation of high-quality H₂ from H₂-rich gases.     

Plasma-assisted Ni catalysts: Toward highly-efficient dry reforming of methane at low temperature

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction can convert primary greenhouse gases (CH₄ and CO₂) to value-added chemicals (H₂ and CO), but generally suffers from harsh reaction conditions (>700 °C) and inevitable deactivation of catalysts. In this work, we report supported Ni catalysts based on a topotactic transformation process from the layered double hydroxides (NiZnAl?LDHs) precursors. Structural characterizations (XRD, HRTEM, CO chemisorption) verify a uniform distribution of Ni nanoparticles (～7 nm) on the mixed metal oxides support with a high dispersion (denoted as Ni/MMO). With the assistance of non-thermal plasma (NTP), the optimal sample (Ni/MMO?S2) exhibits a good catalytic conversion of CH₄ (～69%) and CO₂ (～54%) at low temperatures (30–60 °C), which is comparable with the activity of thermocatalytic process at ～650 °C without NTP. The energy efficiency of NTP-assisted catalysis process is an order of magnitude higher than that of thermocatalytic process at ～650 °C and enhances by 80% relative to NTP-alone process at low temperatures. The Ni/MMO?S2 catalyst shows satisfactory stability after 600 min stability test, with a slight decrease in conversion (within ～1%). In addition, a combined study including catalytic evaluations, operando OES, XAFS and XPS verifies that metallic Ni species acts as active center, which can promote the dissociation of CH₄ and CO₂ into highly reactive intermediate species with the assistance of NTP. This synergistic effect between plasma and Ni catalyst remarkably decreases the apparent activation energy by ～50%, accounting for the high catalytic performance at low temperatures. This work demonstrates a promising synergistic catalysis strategy between plasma and catalysts at low temperatures, which can be extended to other reactions operated under harsh conditions.     

Complete removal of carbon monoxide in hydrogen-rich gas stream through methanation over supported metal catalysts

Complete removal of CO by methanation in H₂-rich gas stream was performed over different metal catalysts. Ni/ZrO₂ and Ru/TiO₂ were the most effective catalysts for complete removal of CO through the methanation. These catalysts can decrease a concentration of CO from 0.5% to $\text{20}\text{ppm}$ in the gases formed by the steam reforming of methane with a significantly low conversion of CO₂ into methane. Catalytic activities of supported Ni and Ru strongly depended on the type of supports, i.e. ZrO₂ for Ni and TiO₂ for Ru are suitable supports for the methanation of CO. The effect of catalytic supports on methanation of CO could be explained by particles sizes of Ni and Ru metal. Catalytic activity of supported Ru catalysts for the complete removal of CO through methanation became higher as particle sizes of Ru metal became smaller, while Ni metal particles with relatively larger diameters were effective for the reaction.     

Potassium promoted Ru/meso-macroporous SiO2 catalyst for the preferential oxidation of CO in H2-rich gases

A series of potassium promoted Ru/meso-macroporous SiO₂ catalysts were prepared and used for the preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) in H₂-rich gases. The catalysts were characterized by using techniques of TEM, SEM TPR, XPS, and N₂ adsorption/desorption. The catalytic activity of Ru/meso-macroporous SiO₂ was markedly improved by the introduction of potassium. The catalyst of K-5 wt.% Ru/meso-macroporous SiO₂ with molar ratio of K:Ru = 5:7 exhibited relatively high activity and selectivity for CO-PROX. Nanoparticles of ruthenium species can be highly dispersed on the meso-macroporous SiO₂ support by the simple impregnation method. The addition of potassium weakened the interaction between metallic Ru and the silica support. Lowering the reduction temperature of ruthenium ions could keep ruthenium in the state of metallic Ru, and it was proposed that potassium acted as an electron donating agent. The electron donating effect of potassium improved the low temperature activity for CO oxidation and increased the selectivity of O₂ for CO oxidation, thus K-modified Ru/meso-macroporous SiO₂ catalyst showed obviously a wide temperature window for CO elimination from H₂-rich gases, meanwhile the related mechanism was discussed.     

Preferential oxidation of CO in a H2-rich stream over multi-walled carbon nanotubes confined Ru catalysts

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) confined Ru catalysts were prepared by a modified procedure using ultrasonication-aided capillarity action to deposit Ru nanoparticles onto MWNTs inner surface. The structure properties of MWNTs supports and Ru catalysts were extensively characterized by XRD, TGA, H₂-TPR, XPS, TEM, FTIR and Raman spectra. The catalytic performance in the preferential oxidation of CO in a H₂-rich stream was examined in detail with respect to the influences of Ru loading, MWNTs diameter, various pretreatment conditions, and the presence of CO₂ and H₂O in the feed stream. In contrast with Ru catalysts supported on MWNTs external surface and other carbon materials, the superior activity was observed for the MWNTs-confined Ru catalyst, which was discussed intensively in terms of the confinement effect of carbon nanotubes. The optimized catalyst of 5 wt.% Ru confined in MWNTs with diameter of 8–15 nm can achieve the complete CO conversion in the wider temperature range and the favorable stability at 80 °C under the simulated reformatted gas mixture, which proves a promising catalyst for preferential CO oxidation in H₂-rich stream.     

Carbon supported bimetallic Ru‐Co catalysts for H2 production through NaBH4 and NH3BH3 hydrolysis

This work investigates the effect of the addition of small amounts of Ru (0.5‐1 wt%) to carbon supported Co (10 wt%) catalysts towards both NaBH₄ and NH₃BH₃ hydrolysis for H₂ production. In the sodium borohydride hydrolysis, the activity of Ru‐Co/carbon catalysts was sensibly higher than the sum of the activities of corresponding monometallic samples, whereas for the ammonia borane hydrolysis, the positive effect of Ru‐Co systems with regard to catalytic activity was less evident. The performances of Ru‐Co bimetallic catalysts correlated with the occurrence of an interaction between Ru and Co species resulting in the formation of smaller ruthenium and cobalt oxide particles with a more homogeneous dispersion on the carbon support. It was proposed that Ru^°, formed during the reduction step of the Ru‐Co catalysts, favors the H₂ activation, thus enhancing the reduction degree of the cobalt precursor and the number of Co nucleation centers. A subsequent reduction of cobalt and ruthenium species also occurs in the hydride reaction medium, and therefore the state of the catalyst before the catalytic experiment determines the state of the active phase formed in situ. The different relative reactivity of the Ru and Co active species towards the two investigated reactions accounted for the different behavior towards NaBH₄ and NH₃BH₃ hydrolysis.     

Preferential oxidation of CO in H2 stream on Au/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts

A series of Au catalysts supported on CeO₂–TiO₂ with various CeO₂ contents were prepared. CeO₂–TiO₂ was prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation with aqueous solution of Ce(NO₃)₃ on TiO₂. Gold catalysts were prepared by deposition–precipitation method at pH 7 and 65 °C. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM and XPS. The preferential oxidation of CO in hydrogen stream was carried out in a fixed bed reactor. The catalyst mainly had metallic gold species and small amount of oxidic Au species. The average gold particle size was 2.5 nm. Adding suitable amount of CeO₂ on Au/TiO₂ catalyst could enhance CO oxidation and suppress H₂ oxidation at high reaction temperature (>50 °C). Additives such as La₂O₃, Co₃O₄ and CuO were added to Au/CeO₂–TiO₂ catalyst and tested for the preferential oxidation of CO in hydrogen stream. The addition of CuO on Au/CeO₂–TiO₂ catalyst increased the CO conversion and CO selectivity effectively. Au/CuO–CeO₂–TiO₂ with molar ratio of Cu:Ce:Ti = 0.5:1:9 demonstrated very high CO conversion when the temperature was higher than 65 °C and the CO selectivity also improved substantially. Thus the additive CuO along with the promoter and amorphous oxide ceria and titania not only enhances the electronic interaction, but also stabilizes the nanosize gold particles and thereby enhancing the catalytic activity for PROX reaction to a greater extent.     

Highly dispersed Ru on K-doped meso–macroporous SiO2 for the preferential oxidation of CO in H2-rich gases

In this work, highly dispersed Ru nanoparticles which had a uniform small nanoparticle size were supported on K-promoted meso–macroporous SiO₂ by using the simple impregnation method. The effect of the size of Ru nanoparticle on the catalytic performance for the preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) in H₂-rich gases was investigated. Meanwhile, the related mechanism on size effect was discussed. The catalysts were characterized by using techniques of transmission electron microscopy, temperature-programmed reduction and CO-chemisorption. The results indicate that the K-promoted Ru/SiO₂ catalyst with the size of metal Ru particles at about 7 nm showed obviously higher turnover frequency (TOF) than that of K-Ru/SiO₂ with smaller size of Ru particles of around 2 nm. As for oxidizing CO to CO₂ on specific weight of ruthenium, the catalyst with the smaller size of metal Ru exhibited better performance owing to its much higher specific surface area of metal Ru. The catalyst with the smaller size of Ru nanoparticles showed much better methanation formation resistance for CO and CO₂. The K-promoted and highly dispersed Ru on SiO₂ exhibited excellent activity and selectivity for the CO-PROX reaction.     

Tuning activity of Pt/FeOx/TiO2 catalysts synthesized through selective-electrostatic adsorption for hydrogen purification by prox reaction

Hydrogen purification by removing CO traces was studied via the preferential CO oxidation (PROX) reaction using highly dispersed Pt catalysts supported on dual oxide FeO_x/TiO₂. These catalysts were prepared by the strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) method by varying the pH of synthesis and the calcination temperature. By measuring the point of zero charge (PZC) of the support components, it was possible to determine the pH in which Pt can be selectively deposited onto one of the support components, obtaining Pt dispersion values above 90%. The selective SEA of a Pt precursor onto the co-support (FeO_x) was achieved at a synthesis pH between the PZCs of the support components (i.e., TiO₂ PZC = 5.2 and Fe₂O₃ PZC = 6.9) by using a Pt anionic complex. The catalytic activity for the PROX reaction, expressed in terms of the CO conversion, O₂ selectivity to CO₂, apparent activation energy, and turnover frequency, confirmed that the SEA prepared catalysts were active and selective for the PROX reaction. XPS and TPR results of the Pt/FeO_x/TiO₂ catalysts showed the formation of Pt-FeO_x interfaces, called as (Pt-FeO_x)_i interfacial sites, which enhanced the stability and catalytic activity for the PROX reaction. The concentration of these sites can be controlled by the synthesis conditions used, mainly pH and to a lower extent the calcination temperature.     

Glycerol steam reforming over Ni catalysts supported on ceria and ceria-promoted alumina

In this paper glycerol steam reforming over Ni catalysts supported on bare CeO₂ and Al₂O₃, and CeO₂-promoted Al₂O₃ to produce H₂ was studied. The catalytic activity results for the NiAl5Ce and NiAl10Ce catalysts showed that the incorporation of low ceria loadings enhances the activity of the NiAl catalyst prepared using a similar composition to the commercial Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The catalyst surface characterization revealed that the good behaviour of the NiAl5Ce and the NiAl10Ce catalysts depends on the stabilization of Ni° particles which is promoted by the formation of nickel–ceria interactions. The increase of ceria content reduced the capacity of the NiAl20Ce catalyst to convert intermediate oxygenated hydrocarbons into H₂.     

Hydrogen production via water-gas shift reaction over gold supported on Ni-based layered double hydroxides

Co-precipitated NiAl and NiMgAl layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were prepared at M²⁺/Al³⁺ molar ratio of 2.5/1 and subsequently promoted with gold targeting to be studied as catalysts and supports of gold particles in the hydrogen production via water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. Powder X-ray diffraction and N₂ physisorption before and after WGS tests were applied to investigate the impacts of Mg and Au on the structure and catalytic behavior of the systems. Partial replacement of Ni by Mg resulted in moderate activity of NiMgAl and Au/NiMgAl catalysts than NiAl analogues due to: (i) smaller Ni amount that could not supply sufficient number catalytically active sites; (ii) higher thermal stability leading to the creation of the active Ni species at higher temperatures, and (iii) partial regeneration of the layered structure with the assistance of small Au particles, Mg, and the reaction medium as well. Favorable role of gold on Au/NiAl WGS activity was elucidated.     

IrRuOx/TiO2 a stable electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in acidic media

Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis of Water (PEMWE) stands out as a scalable, CO₂-free process to produce H₂ for energy delivery and industrial applications. Due to the limited Ir and Ru worldwide availability, one of the main challenges for the GW-scale PEMWE implementation is the loading reduction of these metals in the anodic catalytic layer. Here, Ir–Ru loading (5 wt%Ir-40 wt%Ru) was deposited through their impregnation over TiO₂, followed by a thermal-oxidative treatment, obtaining IrRuO_x/TiO₂ catalyst. SEM-EDS and HR-TEM confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of IrRuO_x on TiO₂. The supported catalyst showed a 1.4-fold higher mass activity (85 mA/mg Ir–Ru) for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) than a mechanical mixture of IrO₂–RuO₂ 1:3 (54 mA/mg_Ir+Ru) in H₂SO₄ 0.5 M, at 1.52 V/RHE. Furthermore, the supported catalyst retains 90% of its catalytic activity after 100 reaction cycles suggesting the RuO₂ intermediate species stabilization by IrO_x, which can avoid its irreversibly transform into hydrous RuO_x.     

Effect of in situ growth of NiSe2 on NiAl layered double hydroxide on its electrocatalytic properties for methanol and urea

With high energy density and low theoretical potential, the methanol oxidation (MOR) and urea oxidation (UOR) are often used as substitute reactions to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As one of the popular non-precious metal catalysts for the MOR/UOR research in recent years, nickel-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have abundant active sites and low cost, but suffer from poor catalytic activity and poor stability. In the present study, we prepared NiAl LDH and then grew NiSe₂ in situ on its surface at different temperatures, and the catalyst obtained at 450 °C (4NiAlSe-450) exhibited excellent MOR/UOR electrocatalytic performance with potentials of 1.37 V vs. RHE and 1.36 V vs. RHE at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², respectively, which were much higher than those of NiAl LDH (1.42 V vs. RHE and 1.39 vs. RHE). Chronoamperometry curves of 4NiAlSe-450 at 1.5 V potential showed that the methanol/urea oxidation was stable for more than 3 h. The physicochemical properties of 4NiAlSe-450 were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and other techniques, and the results showed that the NiSe₂ nanoparticles were successfully grown in situ on the calcined layered structure, and therefore the excellent MOR/UOR electrocatalytic performance of 4NiAlSe-450 may be due to the synergistic effect between the NiAl composite oxides and NiSe₂.     

Recent progress in catalytical CO purification of H2-rich reformate for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) fueled by hydrogen-rich gas are promising systems to substitute fossil fuel resources. This review evaluates state of the art and perspectives for the catalysts such as supported Ni, noble metals, and base metal oxide catalysts used for catalytical CO purification (SMET, PROX) in H₂-rich reformates for PEMFCs applications. The factors affecting activity like support effect, metal size effect, promoters, and metal-support interaction are assessed and thoroughly discussed. It is remarked that the challenges for their practical applications are to (i) achieve acceptable CO outlet concentration in ppm level with wide temperature window (ii) minimize undesired loss of H₂ and inhibit the occurrence of side reactions (iii) develop high performance catalysts with high resistance to CO₂ and steam under realistic conditions. Developing novel catalysts for catalytical CO purification based on the structure-activity relationship will resolve the challenges required for their practical applications.     

Preferential oxidation of CO in H2 stream on Au/ZnO–TiO2 catalysts

A series of gold catalysts supported on ZnO–TiO₂ with various ZnO contents were prepared. ZnO–TiO₂ was prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation using aqueous solution of Zn(NO₃)₂ onto TiO₂. Gold catalysts with nominal gold loading of 1 wt. % were prepared by deposition-precipitation (DP) method. Various preparation parameters, such as pH value and Zn/Ti ratio on the characteristics of the catalysts were investigated. The catalysts were characterized by inductively-coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The preferential oxidation of CO in H₂ stream (PROX) on these catalysts was carried out in a fixed bed micro-reactor with a feed of CO: O₂: H₂: He = 1: 1: 49: 49 (volume ratios) and a space velocity of 30,000 ml/g h. Limited amount of oxygen was used in the feed. A high gold dispersion and narrow gold particle size distribution was obtained. Au/ZnO–TiO₂ with Zn/Ti atomic ratio of 5/95 showed the highest CO conversion at room temperature. The conversion increased with increasing temperature even in the presence of limited amount of oxygen, showing suppression in H₂ oxidation. Au/ZnO–TiO₂ prepared at pH 6 had a higher CO conversion and higher selectivity of CO oxidation than those prepared at other pH values. The addition of ZnO on TiO₂ resulted in higher dispersion of gold particles and narrow particle size distribution. The stronger the Au–Zn(OH)₂ interaction, the finer the supported Au nanoparticles, and the better the catalytic performance of the catalyst for PROX reaction. Part of Au was in Au⁺ state due to the interaction with Zn(OH)₂ and nano Au size. The oxidation state of gold species played an important role in determining its CO conversion and selectivity of CO oxidation in hydrogen stream. The catalysts were stable at 80 °C for more than 80 h.     

Role of the composition and preparation method in the activity of hydrotalcite-derived Ru catalysts in the catalytic partial oxidation of methane

Hydrotalcite-derived Ru catalysts were tested in the catalytic partial oxidation of CH₄ to produce syngas. The effect of Ru content, oxidic matrix composition, and preparation procedure on chemical–physical properties and performances of catalysts was studied. Bulk catalysts (0.25 and 0.50 wt.% Ru) were obtained via Ru/Mg/Al hydrotalcite-type (HT) precursors with carbonates or silicates as interlayer anions. A supported catalyst was prepared by impregnation on a calcined Mg/Al–CO₃ HT. Ru/γ-Al₂O₃ was evaluated for comparison. Both the Ru dispersion and the interaction with the support decreased as the Ru loading increased and when silicates were present due to RuO₂ segregation. Regardless of the Ru loading, carbonate-derived catalysts performed better than those containing silicates. The increased Ru loading improved the initial activity, but deactivation occurred after high temperature tests. Stability tests for shorter contact times over a 0.25 wt.% bulk sample obtained from Ru/Mg/Al HT with carbonates showed a tendency to deactivate at 750 °C.     

Reactivity and characteristics of Pd/MOF and Pd/calcinated-MOF catalysts for CO oxidation reaction: Effect of oxygen and hydrogen

For the first time, the effect of calcination process on characteristics and catalytic performances of Pd supported on different MOFs (MIL-101(Cr), NH₂-MIL-101(Cr), and HKUST-1) was evaluated. Besides, the various orders of calcination process and reduction one on Pd/MOF and Pd/calcinated-MOF were studied, and their performances in CO oxidation reaction were presented to find the effect of H₂ and O₂. Results showed that the effect of calcination and reduction processes on the catalytic activities and characteristics strongly depends on the nature of MOF. Among MIL-based catalysts, the catalyst with no calcination treatment showed the best activity. Among MNH₂-based catalysts, high activity was obtained for Pd/MNH₂, Pd/MNH₂-C, and Pd/MNH₂(RC) samples and Pd/calcinated-MNH₂was the best. Catalytic activities of HKUST-1-based catalysts decreased with calcination due to high changes in their structures. The results are useful for predicting the performance of MOFs in oxidation processes, especially reactions in which high oxygen concentrations are involved.     

Toluene hydrogenation over Pd and Pt catalysts as a model hydrogen storage process using low grade hydrogen containing catalyst inhibitors

The effects of CO and H₂S as catalyst inhibitors on the rate of toluene hydrogenation were studied as a means of hydrogen storage using low-grade hydrogen. Pd/SiO₂ suffered serious negative effects from catalyst inhibitors; however, Pd/TiO₂–SiO₂ exhibited high CO and H₂S tolerance because the acidic support decreased the electron density of the Pd metal particles, which, in turn, decreased the interaction between the Pd surface and CO (or H₂S). The TiO₂–SiO₂-supported Pd catalyst exhibited activity greater than that of the TiO₂–SiO₂-supported Pt catalyst in the presence of CO; however, it exhibited lower activity in presence of H₂S. Catalyst characterization after sulfidation with H₂S revealed that Pd particles were fully sulfided, whereas Pt particles were sulfided only on their surface. We concluded that Pd catalysts supported on acidic oxides exhibit excellent activity toward toluene hydrogenation in the presence of CO and that Pt catalysts exhibit excellent activity in the presence of H₂S.     

PtRu/C catalysts synthesized by a two-stage polyol reduction process for methanol oxidation reaction

Highly dispersed Ru/C catalysts are prepared using high viscosity glycerol as a reducing agent and are treated in H₂ atmosphere to ensure stability. A Pt^∧Ru/C catalyst is prepared by an ethylene glycol process based on the pre-formed Ru/C. The catalyst is tested for methanol oxidation reaction at room temperature and is compared with the activity of the as-prepared PtRu/C alloyed catalyst (prepared by co-reduction of Pt and Ru precursors) and commercial PtRu/C from E-TEK. The catalysts are extensively characterized by Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical measurements by cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed consistently high catalytic activities and improved CO resistance for the Pt^∧Ru/C catalyst.     

Experimental and theoretical investigations into the activity and mechanism of the water–gas shift reaction catalyzed by Au nanoparticles supported on Zn–Al/Cr/Fe layered double hydroxides

Water–gas shift reaction (WGSR) is an industrialized reaction with numerous applications concerning CO removal and H₂ generation. Since this process is widely used and occurs at elevated temperatures, the development of high efficiency and stable catalysts for WGSR and investigating their catalytic mechanism is a hot topic. In this paper, we demonstrate Au nanoparticles supported on different layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as highly efficient and stable catalysts for WGSR. The incorporation of Au nanoparticles significantly decreases the activation energy and enhances the catalytic activity of LDHs for WGSR, with Au/ZnCr–LDHs exhibiting the best catalytic performance including: 79.4% CO conversion, 102.1 μmol g_cat⁻¹ s⁻¹ of reaction rate, 1.01 s⁻¹ TOF values and 41.7 kJ mol⁻¹ of activation energy. TPR experiments suggest that the addition of Au alters the redox cycle on the surface of the catalyst, a key intermediary step involved in the catalytic process. In situ DRIFTS shows that the production of CO₂ during WGSR involves the reaction between CO and adsorbed O, which comes from the dissociation of OH species and not the decomposition of formates. DFT calculations indicate that Au–based catalysts can effectively lower the energy barrier of the kinetically relevant step of H₂O dissociation, which is the most probable reason for the enhancement of activity. The calculated activation barriers coincide with the experimentally measured values with the order of Au/ZnCr–LDHs<Au/ZnFe–LDHs<Au/ZnAl–LDHs<LDHs. Particularly, redox mechanism B has the lowest activation barriers which is the most potential reaction pathway and perfectly supports the in–situ DRIFTS results.