CuO‐modified LaNi_0.4Al_0.6O_3−δ with improvement performance in MSR at low temperature

Abstract The novel CuO/LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ catalyst was synthesized by the impregnation method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), TEM, BET, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The effects of CuO loading amount on the microstructure and the hydrogen production performance from methanol steam reforming (MSR) were investigated. Results demonstrate that the sample with 15 wt% CuO loading has the best hydrogen production performance. Furthermore, compared with the unloaded LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ perovskite catalysts, the methanol conversion of 15 wt% CuO/LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ was improved, and the catalytic temperature of MSR was reduced. LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ as support will form a strong interaction with Cu particles exposed on or around its surface and improve the catalytic performance. The XPS results show that the structure of LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ perovskite oxide is not destroyed after reduction treatment, whereas CuO is reduced to elemental Cu, which is consistent with the XRD results. The reduced catalyst has a porous structure, which helps to increase the contact area between the reaction medium and the active components. This improves the efficiency of the reaction. In addition, the optimal catalytic temperature, water–methanol ratio, and liquid hourly space velocity were determined to be 350°C, 2.5:1, and 15 h −1 , respectively. Therefore, the CuO/LaNi 0.4 Al 0.6 O 3− δ developed in this study is a promising catalyst for MSR applications.