Recent progress in ethanol steam reforming using non-noble transition metal catalysts: A review

Ethanol steam reforming (ESR) is a promising reaction as a sustainable, carbon-neutral hydrogen production process. Because of their high activity and low cost, Co-based and Ni-based catalysts are suitable for industrial ESR processes. Nevertheless, these catalysts present several issues, such as deactivation by coke formation and methane formation as a by-product. This review summarizes the most recent three years works related to ESR for hydrogen production over non-noble transition metal catalysts, exploring their catalytic performance, coke formation, and reaction mechanisms, to provide direction for the development of high-performance catalysts. Findings suggest the particle size and oxidation state of the active metal, acid-base and redox properties of the support, and appropriate promoter selection as important factors to minimize coke and by-product formation.