Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles hosted in activated carbon from renewable sources as catalyst for methanol decomposition

High quality micro-mesoporous activated carbon was prepared from waste bio-mass (peach shells) and used as a host matrix of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The obtained materials were characterized by N-2 physisorption, XRD, FTIR and Moessbauer spectroscopy and tested as catalysts for hydrogen production from methanol. Depending on the Co/Fe ratio formation of pure CoFe2O4 or a mixture of CoO and ferrite phases were observed for carbon supported bi-component materials, while under the same condition the silica support provides the formation of non-stoichiometric ferrite phase. The catalytic active phase which is formed by the influence of the reaction medium represents a complex mixture of non-changed ferrite, magnetite, Co-Fe alloy and/or Fe3C in different proportions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.