Partial oxidation of ethanol over platinum and platinum-tin catalysts at millisecond contact times for hydrogen production

► Pt-Sn is a superior catalyst compared to Pt on a ZrO2 support. ► The PtSn phase is present on ZrO2 leading to higher activity. ► ZrO2 is a better support than Al2O3 for Pt-Sn catalysts. ► Al2O3 contains tin-enriched Pt-Sn phases that are not as active as the PtSn phase. ► Free Pt catalyzes the reaction on Al2O3.