Ethanol dry reforming into synthesis gas: effect of oxygen mobility and reactivity

Abstract

This review provides an overview of the current state of ethanol dry reforming catalysts, along with the effect of oxygen mobility and reactivity, and the strategies for improving catalytic performance. Catalytic reforming of ethanol using CO₂ ensures simultaneous processing of a greenhouse gas using a renewable and affordable fuel into synthesis gas, which is a valuable raw material for the production of a variety of chemical products. High oxygen mobility is an important factor for good catalyst activity and coking stability, since the transport of oxide anions plays a key role in of ethanol reforming reaction and supression of coke deposits formation. Choosing appropriate metallic components (such as various non-noble and noble metals and their alloys), supports based on oxides with high oxygen mobility and surface reactivity (such as perovskites, Ruddlesden–Popper phases, fluorites, etc.) and promoters would provide strong metal–support interaction, high catalytic performance and coking suppression. The ethanol dry reforming reaction can be carried out in various reactor types such as catalytic membrane reactors, reciprocating machines, etc., and used as an internal fuel reforming reaction in solid oxide fuel cells. This work might present a general strategy for developing attractive catalysts for other heterogeneous biofuel reforming reactions.