Nanoparticles in the Water– Gas Shift Reaction and Steam Reforming Reactions

Abstract

Nanomaterials typically display distinctive properties that are determined by their size and shape. The employment of advanced characterization and synthesis techniques has led to the development of new nanostructured materials for catalysis applications.1 This strategy aims to have a significant impact on environmental applications and on the production of hydrogen (H2) as a clean energy carrier. Catalysts formed by metallic or oxidic nanoparticles (NPs) highly dispersed on supports are usually very complex materials, and their size-dependent properties can be systematically designed leading to new catalysts with enhanced performance. Numerous catalysts based on noble metals such as Rh, Pt, Ir, Pd and Ru, as well as on non-noble metals such as Co, Ni and Cu have been studied for H2 producing reactions such as methane (CH4) reforming, steam reforming of ethanol (C2H5OH) and the water?gas shift (WGS) reaction.