Promoting Mechanism of Potassium in the Reforming of Ethanol on Pt/Al2O3 Catalyst

The reaction of ethanol and water has been investigated over K doped 1% Pt/Al(2)O(3) catalysts. The presence of K resulted at room temperature in upward shift of the IR band of CO formed in the ethanol adsorption. At higher temperature the presence of surface acetate species was also detected which, according to the TPD results decomposed above 600 K to form CH(4) and CO(2). The K destabilized these forms. In the catalytic reaction the H(2) selectivities were similar and much higher over all promoted Pt/Al(2)O(3) than on the pure catalyst. In this study it was proved that the K had a destabilizing effect onto the surface acetate groups and thus improved the steam reforming activity of 1% Pt/Al(2)O(3).