Fast start-up structured CuFeMg/Al2O3 catalyst applied in microreactor for efficient hydrogen production in methanol steam reforming

• Mesh-type CuFeMg/Al 2 O 3 structural catalyst coupled with microreactor with enhanced mass transfer effect. • CuFe electronic interaction shortens the start-up time of in-situ self-activation of the catalyst. • CuFeMg/Al 2 O 3 exhibiting excellent stability and a commercially competitive hydrogen production rate. • The introduction of Fe strengthens the adsorption and dissociation energy for H 2 O in the MSR. The metal-oxide interaction has been proven to have extremely favorable effects on the improvement of adsorption strength tuning and catalytic performance. FeO x was found to reduce the reaction energy barrier of Cu-based catalyst in methanol steam reforming (MSR) by DFT calculation. Herein, a mesh-type CuFeMg/Al 2 O 3 structural catalyst was synthesized and applied to MSR to explore the FeO x modification effect. In the microreactor, the catalyst showed 97.8% hydrogen yield and 2.5 times the hydrogen production efficiency of commercial catalysts. The in-situ start-up time of the catalyst without pre-reduction requires only 18 min, which is nearly 98% less time-saving compared to commercial catalysts. Meanwhile, the activity of the catalyst was basically stable in the 100-hour durability evaluation. The characterization analysis confirmed that FeO x not only enhanced the adsorption and activation capability of H 2 O but facilitated the rearrangement of electrons. CuFe electronic interaction had high-efficiency synergy in MSR.