Oxidative reforming of n-C4H10 triggered at ambient temperature over reduced Ni/CeO2

We investigated the oxidative reforming (OR) of n-C4H10 over Ni/CeO2 catalysts with different amounts of Ni loading at ambient temperature by feeding a reaction mixture. The OR of n-C4H10 was triggered rapidly over all the Ni/CeO2 catalysts reduced at 1073 K. O2 absorption at 323 K revealed that the support was composed of CeO1.76 regardless of Ni loading after reduction. We concluded that the heat produced by spontaneous oxidation of CeO1.76 to CeO2 heated the catalysts to catalytic autoignition temperature. Among the catalysts, 1 wt% Ni/CeO2 exhibited durability against carbon deposition as well as excellent catalytic activity for OR in a cyclic activity test.