Ethanol steam reforming on Ni/Al2O3 catalysts: Effect of the addition of Zn and Pt

► Study on the effect of Zn and Pt in Ni/Al2O3 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming. ► ZnO decreases Bronsted acidity but introduces Lewis acid sites in the alumina surface. ► Pt addition enhances the catalyst performance and avoids the necessity of a previous reduction treatment.