Hydrogen as an Energetic Vector: New Nanostructured Rhodium Catalyst in Selective H2 Production via Bio-Ethanol Steam Reforming

Hydrogen as energetic vector is of wide and increasing relevance [1]. Among the different methods for H2 production, the bio-ethanol steam reforming (SR) (Scheme 1) is of particular interest in the transport area as the reaction can be carried out on board and H2 can be produced in situ and not stored. The development of efficient and long lived catalytic system affording H2 in high yields and selectivity is a crucial point in such reaction and is the most pressing requirement as far as research in this area is concerned. [2,3]. In the frame of SPEI - BETA project (an Italian acronym for "Hydrogen Electric Propulsion System by self-sustaining conversion of Bioethanol"), we found that, among several catalytic systems prepared and tested (Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd), Rh vapor derived catalyst is the most active in bio-ethanol SR.