Preparation of activated carbon supported Pt catalysts and optimization of their catalytic activities for hydrogen gas production from the hydrothermal treatment of biomass-derived compounds

In the fields of energy science, it is a challenging issue to develop a highly active catalyst for hydrogen-rich gas production from biomass-derived compounds. In the present study, active reforming catalysts for use of gasification of glucose, biomass-derived compound, in aqueous medium were developed by deposition of platinum on active carbon (AC) support using nanotechnological approaches in supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) media and impregnation (IMP) in aqueous media. Effects of reduction methods for platinum metal and chemical treatment for AC support were evaluated for hydrogen production activity. It was observed that reduction of platinum precursor first by NaBH4 and then heat treatment resulted in more active catalysts compared to one single reduction method applied. The metal particles deposited on AC in ScCO2 had smaller sizes than those prepared by IMP in aqueous media. In case of IMP catalysts, NaBH4 and heat treatment double reduction methods applied catalysts showed greater activity for hydrogen production than those prepared by ScCO2 deposition technique. Activity of CH3COOH and HCl treated supports exhibited higher catalytic performance compared to H3PO4 and KOH treated supports however, untreated AC had still better activity in hydrogen production. Copyright (c) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.