Effect of support on the activity of Ga2O3 species for steam reforming of dimethyl ether

The effects of various supports on the catalytic activity of Ga2O3 for the steam reforming of DME have been examined. Among the various supported Ga2O3 catalysts, Ga2O3/TiO2 showed the highest DME steam reforming activity in terms of DME conversion and H2 yield. The results from XRD, surface area and XPS indicate that the dispersion of Ga2O3 strongly depends on the catalyst support. A correlation between the XPS results and the DME steam reforming activity reveals that there is some electronic interaction between Ga2O3 and the support element. The large electronic interaction found in Ga2O3/TiO2 leads to the best catalytic performance among all the catalysts.