Promotional effect of Fe on perovskite LaNixFe1−xO3 catalyst for hydrogen production via steam reforming of toluene

•Addition of Fe to Ni catalyst at optimum amount enhances activity and stability.•High activity of LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst due to smaller bimetallic Ni–Fe particles.•Strong metal–support interaction on LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst prevents metal sintering.•High metal sintering resistance leads to high catalytic stability.

The effect of Fe addition on catalytic activity and stability of LaNixFe1−xO3 perovskite catalyst was investigated for hydrogen production via steam reforming of tar using toluene as a model compound. The addition of Fe to LaNiO3 catalyst at the optimum amount enhanced the catalytic performance in steam reforming of toluene. LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst shows the best performance in terms of catalytic activity and stability for 8 h of reaction time. The catalyst characterization indicates the presence of Ni-rich Ni–Fe smaller bimetallic particles, strong metal support interaction, and lower carbon deposition rate on LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst. The synergy between Ni and Fe atoms on the small Ni–Fe bimetallic particles is crucial for high activity of the LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst. In addition, the strong interaction between metal and support on the LaNi0.8Fe0.2O3 catalyst can prevent metal sintering, thus, achieving high catalytic stability.

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