Syngas production from ethanol dry reforming over Rh/CeO2 catalyst

Carbon dioxide reforming of ethanol over Rh/CeO2 catalyst was deeply investigated at different reaction temperatures of 450–700°C and reactant ratios (CO2/ethanol from 1 to 3) under atmospheric pressure. The obtained results indicated that Rh/CeO2 catalyst presented a promising activity and stability for syngas production from renewable bio-ethanol instead of conventional methane. Typically, CO2-rich conditions (CO2/ethanol=3) were favorable for reaction process and dynamic coke cleaning, which led to remarkably stable performance over 65h on stream. The strong redox capacity of CeO2 support might also accelerate CO2 activation and prevent the carbon accumulation over the catalyst surface. Additionally, tunable H2/CO ratios were available by changing the CO2/ethanol ratios. The results from characterization of samples before and after catalytic tests allowed to establish the relationship between textural properties and catalytic performance.