The water-gas shift reaction on Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst: Operando SSITKA-DRIFTS-mass spectroscopy studies

Steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA) experiments coupled with in situ DRIFTS and mass spectrometry (operando) were performed for the first time to study essential mechanistic aspects of the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) over a 0.5 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The chemical structure of active and inactive reaction intermediate species present in the carbon-path (“C-path”) from CO to the CO2 product gas (use of 13CO) and in the hydrogen-path (“H-path”) from H2O to the H2 product gas (use of D2O) of the reaction mechanism were determined. In addition, the concentrations (μmol/g) of active species in both the “C-path” and “H-path” of the WGSR at 350 °C were measured. Based on the large concentration of active species present in the “H-path” (OH/H located on the alumina support), the latter being larger than 28 equivalent monolayers of the exposed Pt metal surface, the small concentration of OH groups along the periphery of metal-support interface, and the significantly smaller concentration (μmol/g) of active species present in the “C-path” (adsorbed CO on Pt and COOH species on the alumina support and/or the metal-support interface), it might be suggested that diffusion of OH/H species on the alumina support surface towards Pt catalytic sites present in the “H-path” of reaction (back-spillover process) might be considered as a slow reaction step. The latter process was evidenced after conducting the WGS reaction (CO/H2O) in a partially deuterated alumina surface (Pt/γ-Al2O3). At least two kinds of formate (–COOH) species residing on the alumina surface have been identified, one of which was active and leads to the formation of CO2(g) and H2(g), whereas the other kind(s) is/are considered as inactive (spectator) adsorbed reaction intermediate species.