Fundamental studies of bimetallics for oxygenate reforming
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A variety of routes for the production of transportation fuels from biomass are under development. One is production of hydrogen by selective reforming of biomass-derived oxygenates. We have examined the reactions of oxygenates such as methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol, on bimetallic surfaces using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The formation of bimetallic surfaces alters the physical and chemical properties of metals, producing novel catalytic properties not seen for either of the parent metals. Oxygenates react on 3d-Pt(111) surfaces to produce primarily hydrogen and CO. Surfaces prepared by deposition of a monolayer of Ni on Pt(111), designated as Ni-Pt-Pt(111), display higher reforming activity compared to Pt(111), subsurface monolayer Pt-Ni-Pt(111), and Ni(111) film surfaces. The experimentally measured reforming yield increases as the surface d-band center shifts closer to the Fermi level.