Ni/SBA-15 catalysts for hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming: Effect of nickel precursor

The effect of nickel precursor on Ni/SBA-15 catalysts was studied in ethanol steam reforming (ESR) for hydrogen production. These catalysts were prepared via incipient-wetness impregnation method using nickel nitrate and nickel citrate precursors, respectively (denoted as Ni/SBA-15(N) and Ni/SBA-15(C), respectively), and characterized by various techniques including H₂-TPR, XRD, TEM and TG. It was found that the use of nickel citrate precursor, compared to nickel nitrate precursor, could greatly strengthen the NiO-support interaction and promote the homogeneous distribution of nickel species, to obtain the small nickel particles with high dispersion. After a 25 h time-on-stream test, much lower coke deposition was formed over Ni/SBA-15(C) than Ni/SBA-15(N). Moreover, NiC_x species had be found over the used Ni/SBA-15(C), in which the carbon could be removed easily at lower temperature to exposure the active Ni sites; While carbon nanofibers with regular graphite-structure were the primary coke species over the spent Ni/SBA-15(N), which was difficultly remove and thus covered the active Ni sites easily. Due to these, Ni/SBA-15(C) displayed the higher catalytic activities and better stabilities in ESR than Ni/SBA-15(N). In summary, nickel citrate is an excellent precursor for the preparation of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with high dispersion and strong interaction.