The surface of ceria nanoparticles plays an active role as a catalyst and a support in an increasing number of Green Energy focused reactions. In the case of the Steam Reforming of Methanol reaction ceria and other metal catalysts work in tandem to produce hydrogen gas from methanol. Ceria acts as both a support and a catalyst by supporting the other metal catalyst necessary to produce gaseous hydrogen and by binding methanol to the surface, facilitating the transformation of methanol into the necessary intermediate states. While there is a better understanding of what role the supported catalyst plays in the reaction there is little known of how ceria affects the outcome of the reaction. Ceria is easily reduced at relatively low temperatures allowing for increased surface activity at elevated temperatures. This is due to the oxygen vacancies created on the surface that act as active sites to adsorbates. There is little information on the temperature dependence of the adsorption and conversion of methanol on the surface of ceria. In this study the adsorption of methanol on the surface of ceria is monitored via in situ DRIFTS at varying temperatures. The use of DRIFTS allows for the real time observation of the interactions between methanol and ceria. The temperature at which the methanol addition is carried is varied to observe the effects temperature has on the reactions that occur on the surface of ceria. These methods will allow for better characterization of the mechanism, on a molecular level, in which methanol is bound to the surface of ceria and converted into its activated state.

In situ DRIFTS investigation of the interactions between methanol and ceria nanoparticles as a function of temperature

256th National Meeting (2018)

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