Highly active and stable Co/La0.7Sr0.3AlO3−δ catalyst for steam reforming of toluene

• Steam reforming of toluene as a model compound of aromatic hydrocarbons was investigated.
• Co/La0.7Sr0.3AlO3−δ perovskite catalyst showed high and stable activity.
• The rate-determining step changed at around 848 K relating reaction intermediate desorption.
• Fast reaction and desorption of absorbed intermediates enable high catalytic activity and stability.

We investigated steam reforming of toluene as a model compound of aromatic hydrocarbons included in biomass tar over Co supported La0.7Sr0.3AlO3−δ (LSAO), perovskite oxide. Ni-supported LSAO catalyst has shown high activity and coke resistance from the redox property of lattice oxygen in/on the LSAO support. Co is known as an active metal for this reaction, so Co/LSAO catalyst was investigated in this work. Co/LSAO catalyst, which showed high steady-state activity and stability, was characterized using H218O isotopic transient response tests, STEM, FT-IR, Arrhenius plot and partial pressure dependence to elucidate high and stable catalytic activity. In situ FT-IR measurements revealed that reaction intermediates on Co/LSAO desorbed at 873 K or lower temperatures. Although redox property of lattice oxygen did not change at around 848 K based on isotopic transient tests, the Arrhenius plots indicate that the rate-determining step changed at around 848 K because of reaction intermediate decomposition desorption. Fast reaction and desorption of absorbed intermediates on Co/LSAO enable catalytic stability during toluene steam reforming.

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