Issue 19, 2025

Enhanced ethanol reforming with catalytic active ruthenium species derived from solid solution in lanthanum chromite

Abstract

Ethanol steam reforming (ESR) is a promising route for renewable hydrogen production, but it requires highly active and coke resistant catalysts to efficiently convert ethanol into hydrogen-rich mixtures. The ESR catalytic activity is investigated in single-phase LaCr1−xRuxO3 solid solutions with 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20. Highly active ruthenium species are formed at the surface of the oxide in operando during ESR at 600 °C. These species have remarkable stability for ESR with strong resistance for coke formation, resembling single-atom catalysts. Samples reduced ex situ at higher temperature (900 °C) exhibit Ru exsolved nanoparticles with lower catalytic stability than the species obtained in operando during ESR reaction. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveal that small metallic Ru species (≤2 nm) are formed under ESR reaction, whereas in samples exsolved at 900 °C such species coexist with larger exsolved Ru particles (∼5 nm), which are more likely to deactivate. The experimental results provide an innovative approach for solid solution-derived species in refractory oxide matrix that are valuable for designing robust catalysts for ESR.

Graphical abstract: Enhanced ethanol reforming with catalytic active ruthenium species derived from solid solution in lanthanum chromite

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Jun 2025
Accepted
19 Aug 2025
First published
22 Aug 2025

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2025,15, 5907-5923

Enhanced ethanol reforming with catalytic active ruthenium species derived from solid solution in lanthanum chromite

T. S. Moraes, V. B. Tinti, D. Z. de Florio, A. S. Ferlauto, F. Piazzolla, Y. Miura, D. P. Dean, H. N. Pham, J. T. Miller, A. K. Datye and F. C. Fonseca, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2025, 15, 5907 DOI: 10.1039/D5CY00774G

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