On the role of Cu, Ag and Pt in active titania for gas-phase ethanol photo-reforming

The influence of the synthesis method for the preparation of metal-loaded TiO2 with Cu, Ag, Pt and bimetallic Cu-Ag and Cu-Pt for the gas-phase ethanol photo-reforming and the evaluation of the effect of water during the reaction have been studied. The analysis of H2 and of the by-products obtained through the oxidation path have demonstrated that copper is a promising material for this process, either as single co-catalyst or by modulating the properties of the other metallic species.