Catalytic Decomposition of Alcohols Over Size-Selected Pt Nanoparticles Supported On ZrO2: A Study of Activity, Selectivity, and Stability

This article discusses the performance of ZrO₂-supported size-selected Pt nanoparticles for the decomposition of methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 2-butanol. The potential of each alcohol for H₂ production and other relevant products in the presence of a catalyst is studied in a packed-bed mass flow reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. All the alcohols studied show some decomposition activity below 200°C which increased with increasing temperature. In all cases, high selectivity towards H₂ formation is observed. With the exception of methanol, all alcohol conversion reactions lead to catalyst deactivation at high temperatures (T >250°C for 2-propanol and 2-butanol, T >325°C for ethanol) due to carbon poisoning. However, long-term catalyst deactivation can be avoided by optimizing reaction conditions such as operating temperature.