Hydrogen Generation Using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO2 Nanocatalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methanol in a Microchannel Reactor

doi:10.3390/molecules16010348

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Molecules 2011, 16(1), 348-366; doi:10.3390/molecules16010348

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Hydrogen Generation Using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO₂ Nanocatalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methanol in a Microchannel Reactor

Kuen-Song Lin* , Cheng-Yu Pan, Sujan Chowdhury, Mu-Ting Tu, Wan-Ting Hong and Chuin-Tih Yeh

Fuel Cell Center, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Chung-Li 320, Taiwan

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 25 December 2010; in revised form: 6 January 2011 / Accepted: 7 January 2011 / Published: 7 January 2011

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nano-catalysts and Nano-technologies for Green Organic Synthesis)

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Abstract: In the present work, a microchannel reactor for autothermal reforming of methanol using a synthesized catalyst porous alumina support-CuO/ZnO mixed with ZrO₂ sol washcoat has been developed and its fine structure and inner surface characterized. Experimentally, CuO/ZnO and alumina support with ZrO₂ sol washcoat catalyst (catalyst slurries) nanoparticles is the catalytically active component of the microreactor. Catalyst slurries have been dried at 298 K for 5 h and then calcined at 623 K for 2 h to increase the surface area and specific pore structures of the washcoat catalyst. The surface area of BET N₂ adsorption isotherms for the as-synthesized catalyst and catalyst/ZrO₂ sol washcoat samples are 62 and 108 ± 2 m²g⁻¹, respectively. The intensities of Cu content from XRD and XPS data indicate that Al₂O₃ with Cu species to form CuAl₂O₄. The EXAFS data reveals that the Cu species in washcoat samples have Cu-O bonding with a bond distance of 1.88 ± 0.02 Å and the coordination number is 3.46 ± 0.05, respectively. Moreover, a hydrogen production rate of 2.16 L h⁻¹ is obtained and the corresponding methanol conversion is 98% at 543 K using the CuO/ZnO with ZrO₂ sol washcoat catalyst.

Keywords: washcoat; microchannel; hydrogen generation; zirconia sol; autothermal reforming; fuel cell

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Lin, K.-S.; Pan, C.-Y.; Chowdhury, S.; Tu, M.-T.; Hong, W.-T.; Yeh, C.-T. Hydrogen Generation Using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO₂ Nanocatalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methanol in a Microchannel Reactor. Molecules 2011, 16, 348-366.

AMA Style

Lin K-S, Pan C-Y, Chowdhury S, Tu M-T, Hong W-T, Yeh C-T. Hydrogen Generation Using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO₂ Nanocatalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methanol in a Microchannel Reactor. Molecules. 2011; 16(1):348-366.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lin, Kuen-Song; Pan, Cheng-Yu; Chowdhury, Sujan; Tu, Mu-Ting; Hong, Wan-Ting; Yeh, Chuin-Tih. 2011. "Hydrogen Generation Using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO₂ Nanocatalyst for Autothermal Reforming of Methanol in a Microchannel Reactor." Molecules 16, no. 1: 348-366.

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