Novel Pt/MoS 2 nanosheet catalyst for hydrogen production via aqueous-phase reforming of methanol

Four kinds of Pt supported catalysts: Pt/MoS 2 nanosheets, Pt/MoS 2 bulk, Pt/Al 2 O 3 and Pt/graphene were prepared through incipient wetness impregnation method. The catalytic activity of these catalysts were investigated for low temperature aqueous-phase reforming of methanol (APRM) reaction to produce H 2 . Among these catalysts, 2% (wt%) Pt/MoS 2 nanosheets exhibited the highest catalytic activity for APRM with a H 2 production rate of 4.85 µmol g cat −1 s −1 at 220 °C. Scanning electron microscope was used to check the overall morphology of MoS 2 nanosheets. Transmission electron microscope was used to detect number of layers of MoS 2 nanosheets as well as Pt particle size distribution. Characterizations results illustrated that the thickness of MoS 2 nanosheets and Pt particle size are two main reasons influencing the catalytic performance of Pt/MoS 2 nanosheets for APRM reaction. Furthermore, the results of temperature-programmed surface reaction proved that MoS 2 nanosheets promoted Pt enables higher H 2 production in APRM reaction.