Synthesis and Characterization of Platinum-based Bimetallic Catalysts and their Application in Aqueous Phase Reforming of Methanol

Abstract

Aqueous Phase Reforming (APR) is a catalytic process that involves the reforming of organic feedstocks in aqueous media under mild operational conditions. Despite its potential applications, the high cost of the catalyst has hindered its full-scale commercialization. In this thesis, supported Pt-Ni and Pt-Mn catalysts with low Pt content (0.2 wt.% - 2 wt.%) were prepared using metal oxides and carbon-based supports. It was found that the metal dispersion was >50% when supported on metal oxides and <50% when supported on carbons. Adding Ni to Pt positively affected the activity of the metal oxide-supported samples, whereas Mn enhanced Pt activity when supported on carbons. Generally, the metal oxide-supported samples were more active than the carbon-supported ones, which was attributed to the hydrophobic properties of the latter. TiO2-supported samples were proven to be active even when preactivated at room temperature, which implies considerable energy savings in an eventual large-scale production of this catalyst.