Abstract: The catalytic performance of Ni-Cu/CeO2 catalyst for hydrogen production from ethanol steam reforming was investigated with respect to the roles of nickel and copper. The structure and surface characteristics of the catalyst were measured by temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It was revealed that the interactions among Cu, Ni, and CeO2 greatly improved the dispersion of Ni particles and consequently enhanced the catalytic activity, but too much copper decreased the activity of the catalyst. Ni was more effective in the cleavage of C[KG-45x]-[KG-20x]C and C[KG-45x]-[KG-20x]H bonds than Cu, and thus ethanol was entirely converted even at much lower temperatures. Additionally, Ni also exhibited excellent methane reforming capability at higher temperatures. Cu favored the dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde and water-gas shift reaction at low temperatures, and only showed limited ability for ethanol decomposition at high temperatures.

Key words: nickel, copper, ceria, ethanol, steam reforming, hydrogen