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

Abstract The metal-oxide interaction has been proven to have extremely favorable effects on the improvement of adsorption strength tuning and catalytic performance. FeOx 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/Al2O3 structural catalyst was synthesized and applied to MSR to explore the FeOx 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 FeOx not only enhanced the adsorption and activation capability of H2O but facilitated the rearrangement of electrons. CuFe electronic interaction had high-efficiency synergy in MSR.