Synthesis and characterization of CuO/ZnO–Al2O3 catalyst washcoat thin films with ZrO2 sols for steam reforming of methanol in a microreactor

Inner surface and the fine structure of the microchannel reactor using porous alumina support CuO/ZnO mixed with ZrO2 sol washcoat catalyst for autothermal reforming of methanol have been synthesized and characterized. Experimentally, catalyst slurries have been dried at 298 K for 5 h and then calcined at 623 K for 2 h to increase the surface area and specific pore structures of washcoat catalysts. Intensities of Cu content from XRD patterns indicate that Al2O3 assign with Cu(0) to from CuAl2O4. The EXAFS data reveals that the Cu species in washcoat have a Cu–O bonding with a bond distance of 1.96 Å and a coordination number of 2.95, respectively.