Catalytic hydrogen production from fossil fuels via the water gas shift reaction

The production of hydrogen is a highly researched topic for many reasons. First of all, it is a clean fuel that can be used instead of hydrocarbons, which produce CO2, a greenhouse gas emission that is thought to be the reason for climate change in the world. The largest source of hydrogen is the water gas shift (WGS) reaction, where CO and water are mixed over a catalyst to produce the desired hydrogen. Many researchers have focused on development of WGS catalysts with different metals. The most notable of these metals are precious and rare earth metals which, when combined, have unique properties for the WGS reaction. Research in this area is very important to the energy industry and the future of energy around the world. However, the progress made recently has not been reviewed, and this review was designed to fill the gap. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.