High surface area carbons as acidic components with Cu–ZnO/Al2O3 for the reforming of dimethoxymethane

Acidic carbon nano-fiber (H-CNF) with high surface area (H-HSCNF) was prepared via the activation of CNF by KOH and then HNO3, which was highly active for the hydrolysis of DMM. Activation of phenolic resin (PR) with KOH and then HNO3 produced acidic carbon (H-HSPRC) that was even more active for the hydrolysis of DMM. The complex catalysts combining Cu–ZnO/γ-Al2O3 and H-HSPRC exhibited excellent performance for the reforming of DMM to produce H2 with a rate of H2 production as high as 7400 ml gcat−1 h−1 at 513 K.