Highly active Cu-ZnO catalysts for the WGS reaction at medium–high space velocities: Effect of the support composition

Abstract

Cu-ZnO based catalysts are the benchmark materials for the low-temperature WGS reaction. However, they present a crucial drawback which limits their application in portable devices: they only work under very low space velocities. In this study, we have developed a series of multicomponent Cu-ZnO catalysts able to work at relatively high space velocities with outstanding activity and stability. Different reference supports have been utilised with CeO2-Al2O3 being the most promising system. Overall, this work describes a strategy to design advanced Cu-based catalysts that can overcome the residence time restrictions in the WGS reaction.