Hydrogen Production by Methanol Steam Reforming on Copper Boosted by Zinc‐Assisted Water Activation

Abstract

A Zn-in-Cu near-surface alloy covered by a thin wetting layer of interfacial Zn(ox) is the most active state of an inverse CuZn catalyst. The bifunctional action of the mixed Cu(Zn)0/Zn(ox) surface allows for selective dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde and for optimized water activation, thus providing the required source of oxygen for the total oxidation of HCHO to CO2.