Nanosized gold catalysts on Pr-modified ceria for pure hydrogen production via WGS reaction

• The WGS activity of gold catalysts on ceria doped with Pr (5 and 10 at% Pr) was studied. The supports were synthesized by impregnation (IM) and microemulsion (ME) method. Gold (3 wt%) was introduced by deposition-precipitation method. The samples were characterized by means of XRD, TEM, XPS and TPR measurements. The catalytic activity in WGSR of fresh catalysts did not differ significantly. After re-oxidation following the first catalytic run, the activity of gold catalyst on IM support with 5 at% Pr increased, while a significant drop in activity of the gold catalyst on ME support containing 10 at% Pr was registered. In the latter case the presence of very small gold particles were responsible for the initial WGS activity, while their agglomeration after the catalytic reaction caused the observed activity decrease. In the former case the higher activity during the second catalytic run could be explained by: (i) the redox behavior, showing that only in this case the most mobile oxygen could be fully recovered; (ii) the morphology of the support, revealing better crystallization of the support after WGS catalytic test as compared to the presence of partially amorphous ceria in the fresh gold catalyst.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Chemical synthesis

Defects

Nanostructures

Oxides

Surface properties

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)