Approaches to the design of efficient and stable catalysts for biofuel reforming into syngas: doping the mesoporous MgAl2O4 support with transition metal cations.

The mesoporous MgAl2O4 support is promising for the design of efficient and stable to coking catalysts for natural gas and biofuel reforming into syngas. This work aims at doping this support with transition metal cations (Fe, Cr, Ti) to prevent the incorporation of Ni and rare-earth cations (Pr, Ce, Zr), loaded by impregnation, into its lattice along with providing additional sites for CO2 activation required to prevent coking. Doped MgAl1.9Me0.1O4 (Me = Fe, Ti, Cr) mesoporous supports prepared by the one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly method with Pluronic P123 triblock copolymers were single-phase spinels. Their specific surface area varies in the range of 115-200 m2 g-1, decreasing to 90-110 m2 g-1 after successive addition of the supporting nanocomposite active component 10 wt% Pr0.3Ce0.35Zr0.35O2 + (5 wt% Ni + 1% Ru) by impregnation. Mössbauer spectroscopy for iron-doped spinels confirmed the spatially uniform distribution of Fe3+ cations in the lattice without clustering being mainly located at the octahedral positions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy of the adsorbed CO molecules was performed to estimate the surface density of metal sites. In methane dry reforming, the positive effect of MgAl2O4 support doping was observed from both a higher turn-over frequency as compared with the catalyst on the undoped support as well as the highest efficient first-order rate constant for the Cr-doped catalyst as compared with published data for a variety of Ni-containing catalysts based on the alumina support. In the reaction of ethanol steam reforming, the efficiency of catalysts on the doped supports is comparable, while exceeding that of Ni-containing supported catalysts reported in the literature. Coking stability was provided by a high oxygen mobility in the surface layers estimated by the oxygen isotope heteroexchange with C18O2. A high efficiency and coking stability were demonstrated in the reactions of methane dry reforming and ethanol dry and steam reforming in concentrated feeds for the honeycomb catalyst with a nanocomposite active component on the Fe-doped MgAl2O4 support loaded on the FeCrAl-alloy foil substrate.

Structural and transport properties of Nd tungstates and their composites with Ni0.5Cu0.5O obtained by mechanical activation.

Nd tungstates and molybdates are promising materials for hydrogen separation membranes due to their high protonic conductivity. This work aims at elucidating the structural, textural and oxygen transport features of Nd5.5WO11.25-δ, Nd5.5W0.5Mo0.5O11.25-δ and (Nd5/6La1/6)5.5WO11.25-δ and their composites with Ni0.5Cu0.5O synthesized by mechanical activation. The oxide materials obtained were distorted double fluorites but their composites with Ni0.5Cu0.5O possess a complex phase composition. Extended defects such as grain boundaries, stacking faults and surface steps/terraces were observed in TEM images, which allow fast diffusion transport along grain boundaries (D* ∼ 10-6 cm2 s-1 at 700 °C) and slower diffusion within grains' bulk (D* ∼ 10-11, 10-12 and 10-13 cm2 s-1 at 700 °C for the rather fast, "middle" and slow channels of bulk diffusion) (2D diffusion). The model gives the best description of experimental data obtained by the isotope exchange of oxygen with C18O2 in a flow reactor. For composites with Ni0.5Cu0.5O, a significant decrease in oxygen diffusivity was shown. The reduction and subsequent reoxidation of composites resulted in an increase in oxygen mobility probably due to the partial unblocking of oxygen diffusion corresponding to the Ln tungstates/molybdates. Fine oxygen transport features allow us to increase the hydrogen yield of hydrogen separation membranes due to the proton transport mechanisms involving oxide anions and the water splitting reaction. Hence, the features of Nd tungstates and their composites with nickel(II)-copper(II) oxide studied demonstrated their high potential for use in catalytic reactors based on hydrogen separation membranes.

Impact of Incorporation of Active Nanoporous Components or Their Precursors in a CuAlO/CuAl Ceramometal Skeleton on the Properties in the Low-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Reaction.

Enhanced activity in low-temperature water-gas shift (LT-WGS) reaction of some ceramometal catalysts compared to conventional Cu-Zn-Al oxide catalyst was demonstrated. Porous ceramometals were synthesized from powdered CuAl alloys prepared by mechanical alloying with the addition of either CuAlexp powders produced by current spark explosion of Cu+Al wires or CuZnAl oxide obtained by coprecipitation. Their structural, microstructural, and textural characteristics were examined by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, NMR, and adsorption methods, and catalytic properties were studied in the LT-WGS reaction. CuAlO/CuAl ceramometals were found to have mostly the egg-shell microstructure with the metallic cores (Al x Cu1-x , Al2Cu, and Al4Cu9) and the oxide shell containing copper oxides and/or mixed oxides of copper and aluminum and, at same time, CuAlO/CuAl ceramometal with incorporated additives was found to create a more complicated microstructure. A large amount of X-ray amorphous oxides of copper and aluminum is typical for all composites. CuAl ceramometal was shown to be more active than the CuZnAl oxide catalyst in spite of a much lower specific surface area. The CuAl+CuZnAl catalyst consisting of prismatic granules showed a higher activity in comparison with CuZnAl oxide consisting of cylindrical granules. The activity of the composite granulated catalyst referred to its unit weight was more than 6-fold higher as compared to the oxide catalyst, while the activity per the surface area was found to be more than an order of magnitude higher due to much higher specific activity of small fraction and additively much lower diffusion limitation of granules.

Comparative Study of Electrical Conduction and Oxygen Diffusion in the Rhombohedral and Bixbyite Ln6MoO12 (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb) Polymorphs.

Electrical conduction and oxygen diffusion mobility in the bixbyite ( Ia3̅) and rhombohedral ( R3̅) polymorphs of the Ln6MoO12-Δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb; Δ = δ, δ1, δ2; δ1 > δ2) heavy lanthanide molybdates, belonging to new, previously unexplored classes of potential mixed (ionic-electronic) conductors, have been studied in the range of 200-900 °C. The oxygen self-diffusion coefficient in bixbyite ( Ia3̅) Yb6MoO12-δ phase estimated by the temperature-programmed heteroexchange with C18O2 was shown to be much higher than that for rhombohedral ( R3̅) RI (with large oxygen deficiency) and ( R3̅) RII (with small oxygen deficiency) Ln6MoO12-Δ (Ln = Tm, Yb; Δ = δ1; δ1 > δ2) oxides. According to the activation energy for total conduction in ambient air, 0.99, 0.93, and 1.01 eV in Er6MoO12-δ, Tm6MoO12-δ, and Yb6MoO12-δ bixbyites, respectively, oxygen ion conductivity prevails in the range ∼200-500 °C. Oxygen mobility data for the rhombohedral Ln6MoO12-Δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb; Δ = δ1, δ2) phases RI and RII indicate that the oxygen in these phases exhibits mobility at much higher temperatures, such as those above 600-700 °C. Accordingly, below 600-700 °C they have predominantly electronic conductivity. As shown by total conductivity study of Ln6MoO12-δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb) bixbyites ( Ia3̅) and rhombohedral phases Ln6MoO12-Δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb; Δ = δ1, δ2) ( R3̅) in dry and wet air, the proton conductivity contribution exists only in Ln6MoO12-δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb) bixbyites up to 450-600 °C and decreases with a decreasing of the lanthanide ionic radius. The obtained data on the mobility of oxygen and the presence of proton contribution in bixbyites in the 300-600 °C temperature range make it possible to confirm unequivocally that Ln6MoO12-δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb) bixbyites are mixed electron-proton conductors at these temperatures.

Kinetics of oxygen exchange over CeO2-ZrO2 fluorite-based catalysts.

The kinetics of 18O/16O isotopic exchange over CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3 and Pt/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts have been investigated under the conditions of dynamic adsorption-desorption equilibrium at atmospheric pressure and a temperature range of 650-850 degrees C. The rates of oxygen adsorption-desorption on Pt sites, support surface, oxygen transfer (spillover) from Pt to the support as well as the amount of oxygen accumulated in the oxide bulk, and oxygen diffusion coefficient were estimated. The nanocrystalline structure of lanthana-doped ceria-zirconia prepared via the Pechini route with a developed network of domain boundaries and specific defects guarantees a high oxygen mobility in the oxide bulk (D = (1.5 / 2.0).10-18 m2 s-1 at 650 degrees C) and allows accumulation of over-stoichiometric/excess oxygen. For Pt/CeO2-ZrO2, oxygen transfer from Pt to support (characteristic time < 10-2 s) was shown to be responsible for the fast exchange between the gas-phase oxygen and oxygen adsorbed on the mixed oxide surface. The rate of direct exchange between the gas phase and surface oxygen is increased as well due to the increased concentration (up to 2 monolayers) of surface/near subsurface oxygen species accumulated on the oxygen vacancies (originated from the incorporation of highly dispersed Pt atoms). The characteristic time of diffusion of the oxygen localized in the subsurface layers is about 1 s. The overall quantity of over-stoichiometric oxygen and/or hydroxyl groups accumulated in the bulk can reach the equivalent of 10 monolayers, and characteristic time of oxygen diffusion within the bulk is about 20 s. All these kinetic data are required for the further step of modeling partial oxidation of hydrocarbons under steady- and unsteady-state conditions.

Electronic and chemical properties of nanostructured cerium dioxide doped with praseodymium.

Nanostructured doped ceria is a prospective material for catalytic applications such as the construction of membranes with mixed electronic and ionic conductivity for effective syngas production. In this article, the surface properties of nanostructured ceria doped with praseodymium have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed carbon monoxide. The effects of supporting 1.4 wt % Pt as well as structural changes upon the reduction of the samples with methane have been investigated. While in samples without supported platinum, mainly praseodymium cations are reduced in a methane atmosphere; stronger reduction of cerium cations was found in the case of surface modification with Pt. The structural differences correlate with results from temperature-programmed reaction experiments with methane. Explanations are discussed in terms of different reaction mechanisms.

Nanostructured, Gd-doped ceria promoted by Pt or Pd: investigation of the electronic and surface structures and relations to chemical properties.

Nanostructured ceria doped with other rare earth elements is a good oxygen ion conductor, which gives rise to various catalytic applications such as the construction of membranes for syngas production by partial oxidation of methane. This article focuses on the Gd-doped cerium dioxides, which can be modified with Pt or Pd to enhance the reactivity of the lattice oxygen in interaction with methane. The aim of the work is the elucidation of correlations between the structural, electronic, and chemical properties of these nanomaterials. Detailed studies were performed for a series of samples with and without surface modification by noble metals using a complex combination of physicochemical methods: XRD, TEM, CH(4) TPR, XPS, SIMS, and FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO. XPS and TPR data revealed that surface modification with noble metals enhances the reducibility of the doped ceria support, where the effect is more pronounced for Pd than for Pt. The formation of highly cationic Pd species due to strong metal support interactions provides a possible explanation for this behavior. Furthermore, the results obtained in the present work for the Gd-doped ceria system are compared to those obtained previously for the Pr-doped ceria system.