Low-temperature partial oxidation of ethanol over supported platinum catalysts for hydrogen production

Three types of supported platinum catalysts were prepared using incipient wetness impregnation ( Pt / Al 2 O 3 and Pt/ZnO) and sol–gel ( Pt / ZrO 2 ) , respectively. Particle sizes of platinum on prepared catalysts were characterized by combining hydrogen chemisorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The catalytic activities toward partial oxidation of ethanol (POE) were further investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. Experimental results demonstrated that significant ethanol conversion ( C EtOH > 50 % ) existed for all catalysts at a low temperature of T R = 370 K . The selectivity of hydrogen ( S H 2 ) and CO ( S CO ) varied with the different catalysts. The S H 2 increases as the dispersion of platinum increases and the S CO approaches zero for Pt / ZrO 2 catalysts. Among these catalysts, the Pt / ZrO 2 catalyst was an excellent catalyst for selective and effective production of hydrogen from POE at a low temperature. Both C EtOH and S H 2 reached 51% and 97%, respectively, at T = 370 K , O 2 / EtOH = 1.0 for 1.9% Pt / ZrO 2 catalyst.