Zirconia-supported bimetallic RhPt catalysts: Characterization and testing in autothermal reforming of simulated gasoline

The behavior of ZrO2-supported RhPt catalysts was studied in the autothermal reforming of simulated gasoline to produce fuel gas (H-2, CO, CO2, CH4, and H2O) suitable for solid oxide fuel cell applications. The bimetallic catalysts were superior to the monometallic Rh and Pt catalysts, and only a small addition of Rh increased the activity of the Pt catalyst markedly. Moreover, the reforming selectivity and the stability of bimetallic RhPt catalysts against carbon deposition improved with increasing Rh/Pt molar ratio. Strong synergism between Rh and Pt was observed, leading to excellent catalytic performance. Based on TPR-, SEM-, and EDX-results a Rh-Pt-O ternary system with RhxPt1-x-Rh2O3 equilibrium is suggested for the bimetallic catalysts, where Rh2O3 is the active site. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.