Pt/zirconia catalyst for hydrogen generation from HI decomposition reaction of S–I cycle

Hydrogen energy is considered as one of the ideal solutions for the fulfilment of the ever increasing energy demand. It is mainly due to the following two reasons: firstly, it can be produced from a very abundant source, that is, water; and secondly, it does not leave any harmful effect on the environment. Thermochemical cycles are amongst the most promising ways to generate hydrogen from water in an environment‐friendly manner. Sulfur–iodine cycle is one of the most efficient thermochemical cycles. In this paper, we discuss synthesis of Pt/zirconia catalysts for HI decomposition reaction, which is one of the important steps of S–I thermochemical cycle. The catalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission gun‐SEM, transmission electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption and H₂ chemisorption. The catalytic activity and stability of these catalysts, for liquid phase decomposition of hydriodic acid was evaluated. Conversion is found to be dependent on the noble metal loading, with 18.7% conversion for 2% Pt/ZrO₂ catalyst as compared with 2.7% of without catalyst, although the specific activity is highest for 0.5% Pt/ZrO₂ catalyst. The catalyst was found to be stable under liquid phase HI decomposition reaction conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.