Microstructure of leached Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal with high catalytic performance for steam reforming of methanol Original Research Article

The catalytic performance of steam reforming of methanol (SRM), cross-sectional microstructure and leaching process of an Al63Cu25Fe12 quasicrystal (QC) catalyst were studied. The QC catalyst was prepared by the NaOH leaching. The leaching of the QC alloy generated a homogeneous leached layer composed of Cu, Fe, Al, and their oxides. The activity and stability of the QC catalyst for the SRM was much superior to those of related crystalline alloy catalysts, because the highly dispersed Fe species in the homogeneous leached layer of the QC catalyst enhances the catalytic activity and suppresses the aggregation of Cu particles. The quasiperiodic structure of the Al-Cu-Fe QC was stable against leaching and had a relatively low dissolution rate of Al among the Al-Cu-Fe alloys, which resulted in the formation of a homogeneous leached layer that was responsible for the high activity and stability for SRM.