Steering the methanol steam reforming performance of Cu/ZrO2 catalysts by modification of the Cu-ZrO2 interface dimensions resulting from Cu loading variation

On Cu/ZrO2 catalysts, variation of the Cu loading from 0.2 wt% to 80 allows assessing influence Cu-ZrO2 interface on methanol steam reforming (MSR) performance by steering particle size and morphology, revealing contribution potential active sites at intrinsic relative contributions support surface fraction. As ZrO2 influences both CO2-selective selectivity-spoiling MSR reaction channels, disentangling support-specific effects special phase-boundary reactivity Cu° is possible our approach. By choosing a broad range loadings, comparison most extreme cases strong predominance bulk-like (80 Cu) vs. highly dispersed (0.2 wt%), dominated interfacial reactivity, becomes accessible. wt%)/ZrO2 evolves as best catalyst avoiding adverse providing high number support-wetting sites.