Enhancing Bio-Ethanol conversion to renewable H2 via Ethanol Steam Reforming over a highly porous “one-pot” nickel and molybdenum carbide-based catalyst

The pursuit of an economical, active, and stable catalyst for Bio-Ethanol Steam Reforming (ESR) to facilitate renewable H2 production continues. Especially considering that traditional-noble-metal-based catalysts, are too expensive for large scale applications. In this paper, a sol-gel Ni–Mo2C–Al2O3 catalyst was employed for the first time in the ESR reaction. Synthesized by an innovative “one-pot” sol-gel method, this highly porous catalyst (670 m2. gcat−1) promises to deliver, in a single material, the nickel's ability on cleaving C–C bonds with the known catalytic stability of Mo2C in reforming reactions. Catalytic stability and activity were tested over a wide range of temperatures (450 °C-700 °C) and at a high Gas-Hourly-Space-Velocity (GHSV), 200,000 mmol h−1. gcat−1. The high temperature tests (T > 650 °C) exhibited elevated stability (over 12 h) and activity (ethanol conversion and H2-Production-Rate of 100 % and 1700 mmol h−1. gcat−1, respectively). Besides, TPO-O2 and TEM micrographs have shown the presence of both graphitic and aromatic coke on tests E and H spent catalysts, 2.08 mgcarbon. gcat− 1h−1 and 541 mgcarbon. gcat− 1h−1, respectively. Nevertheless, given its more graphitic nature and lower formation rate, H2 yield, and conversion remained constant throughout the entirety of the high-temperature tests, confirming that the coke did not block the catalytic sites. [Display omitted] •Unprecedent Ethanol Steam Reforming over a sol-gel Ni–Mo2C–Al2O3 catalyst.•Highly porous catalyst (SSA = 669 m2 g−1) synthesized using a novel one-pot method.•Despite coke formation, catalyst stayed active at 700 °C in high-temp tests.•Active under all reaction conditions, even under a GHSV of 200,000 mL.h− 1. gcat−1.•High reaction temperatures (650 °C, 700 °C) led to improved catalytic stability.