Production of hydrogen by steam reforming of methanol in the presence of copper/zinc-aluminium based catalysts prepared by adopting memory effect of hydrotalcite

Copper supported on calcined hydrotalcite catalysts were prepared using the memory effect of zinc-aluminium hydrotalcite. Zinc-aluminium was calcined at 400°C and dopped in a copper nitrate aqueous solution for surface hydrotalcite regeneration. The calcination at 500°C of the sample copper/zinc-aluminium (Cu/Zn-Al) (400) leads to an interesting copper mixed oxide supported on calcined hydrotalcite. The surface copper hydrotalcite regeneration was observed and the reconstruction of the layered structure influenced positively the interaction between copper species and the support. These catalysts present an interesting activity for hydrogen production by steam reforming of methanol.