Journal of Energy Chemistry

Journal of Energy Chemistry ›› 2023, Vol. 86 ›› Issue (11): 447-479.DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2023.07.011

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Improvement strategies for Ni-based alcohol steam reforming catalysts

Alex Desgagnés, Ommolbanin Alizadeh Sahraei, Maria C. Iliuta*   

  1. Université Laval, Département de Génie Chimique, 1065 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
  • Received:2023-05-12 Revised:2023-06-27 Accepted:2023-07-02 Online:2023-11-15 Published:2023-11-07
  • Contact: *E-mail address: maria-cornelia.iliuta@gch.ulaval.ca (M.C. Iliuta).
  • About author:Alex Desgagnés received his bachelor's degree (B.Sc) in Chemical Engineering from Université Laval (Canada) in 2020. He then pursued a master's degree (M.Sc) in the same field, which was converted to a doctorate (Ph.D.) via an accelerated passage in 2021, under the direction of professor Iliuta. His research interests are heterogeneous catalysis, bifunctional materials, valorization of industrial residues, biomass conversion, reaction kinetics, sorption-enhanced reaction processes, with particular focus on CO2 thermochemical conversion and renewable H2 production by steam reforming reactions. He was awarded the prestigious Alexander-Graham-Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (BESC D) by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to pursue his Ph.D. studies (2021-2025). He is also a member of the CIRCUIT program (Centre for Innovation and Research on Carbon Utilization in Industrial Technologies, NSERC CREATE program).
    Ommolbanin Alizadeh Sahraei received her B.Sc (2003) and M.Sc (2009) degrees from Faculty of Engineering of University of Tehran (Iran). She obtained a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Université Laval (Quebec, Canada) in 2022 under the direction of professor Iliuta and received the distinction on the Honor Roll of Laval University's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Her academic research is primarily directed on catalysis and chemical reaction engineering, with particular focus on the synthesis and characterization of materials applicable in the field of renewable energy, H2 production, CO2 capture, chemical gas sensors, and valorization of industrial residues. She has more than 10 years of professional experience in the downstream oil and gas and chemical industries as an R&D specialist, technical sales support, and project coordinator.
    Maria C. Iliuta is professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada) since 2006. She received her Ph.D. in Chemical engineering from Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) and performed postdoctoral fellowships in phase equilibria thermodynamics, separation technologies, and heterogeneous catalysis at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Université Laval. Her research interests are especially directed towards process intensification, catalysis (heterogeneous, enzymatic, photo- and electro-catalysis), separations, capture and catalytic valorization of CO2, waste valorization, alternative fuels/hydrogen production, and process modeling. She co-authored more than 150 referred publications, 5 books/book chapters, and 1 patent. She is a member of the Editorial Board of Catalysts journal and was one of the 27 global winners of the I&EC Research 2017 Excellence in Review Awards. She is also a member of the CIRCUIT program (Centre for Innovation and Research on Carbon Utilization in Industrial Technologies, NSERC CREATE program).

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Abstract: Steam reforming (SR) of fossil methane is already a well-known, documented and established expertise in the industrial sector as it accounts for the vast majority of global hydrogen production. From a sustainable development perspective, hydrogen production by SR of biomass-derived feedstock represents a promising alternative that could help to lower the carbon footprint of the traditional process. In this regard, bio-alcohols such as methanol, ethanol or glycerol are among the attractive candidates that could serve as green hydrogen carriers as they decompose at relatively low temperatures in the presence of water compared to methane, allowing for improved H2 yields. However, significant challenges remain regarding the activity and stability of nickel-based catalysts, which are most widely used in alcohol SR processes due to their affordability and ability to break C-C, O-H and C-H bonds, yet are prone to rapid deactivation primarily caused by coke deposition and metal particle sintering. In this state-of-the-art review, a portfolio of strategies to improve the performance of Ni-based catalysts used in alcohol SR processes is unfolded with the intent of pinpointing the critical issues in catalyst development. Close examination of the literature reveals that the efforts tackling these recurring issues can be directed at the active metal, either by tuning Ni dispersion and Ni-support interactions or by targeting synergistic effects in bimetallic systems, while others focus on the support, either by modifying acid-base character, oxygen mobility, or by embedding Ni in specific crystallographic structures. This review provides a very useful tool to orient future work in catalyst development.

Key words: H2 production, Alcohol steam reforming, Ni-based catalysts, Catalyst development, Sintering, Coke formation