Nickel doped enhanced LaFeO3 catalytic cracking of tar for hydrogen production

• Published in: Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis 2024-10, Vol.183, p.106825, Article 106825
• Main Authors: Chen, Wang-mi, Xi, Bei-dou, Ye, Mei-ying, Li, Ming-xiao, Hou, Jia-qi, Wei, Yu-fang, Yu, Cheng-ze, Meng, Fan-hua, Dai, Xin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Correlation analysis; Hydrogen-rich syngas; Nickel doping; Perovskite; Tar cracking
• ISSN: 0165-2370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2024.106825

The transformation of biomass into green energy was pivotal for sustainable development, yet the efficient conversion of biomass-derived tar into hydrogen-rich syngas remained a significant challenge. This study addressed the catalytic demand for hydrogen production from tar, focusing on the development of LaNixFe1-xO3 perovskites as catalysts. A series of LaNixFe1-xO3 perovskites with varying nickel doping levels (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) were synthesized to evaluate their catalytic performance in converting toluene, a representative tar component, into hydrogen. The LaNi0.5Fe0.5O3 catalyst demonstrated the highest hydrogen yield (14.5 L/6 h) and volume percentage (82.9 V/V%), highlighting the optimal nickel doping level for enhancing hydrogen production. The hydrogen production performance of LaNixFe1-xO3 was significantly affected by nickel doping. In particular, a small amount of nickel doping can significantly enhance the hydrogen production capacity of LaFeO3 and maintain good reaction stability. The enhanced performance was attributed to the high oxygen storage capacity of perovskite, which facilitated the removal of surface carbon and promotes the methanation reaction. Notably, the total content of defect oxygen and surface adsorbed oxygen/hydroxyl groups significantly impacted the hydrogen production efficiency. These findings indicated that LaNi0.5Fe0.5O3 was an effective catalyst for converting biomass-derived tar into hydrogen-rich syngas, offering a promising solution to the catalytic demand in the hydrogen production system. [Display omitted] •Nickel doping was crucial for increasing hydrogen production.•Hydrogen production was facilitated by the synergistic action of oxygen and nickel.•Ni2+ and O22-/OH- were the two key indicators for H2 production.•Modulation of O2- and O22-/OH- content was most important for catalyst stability.•The maximum average H2 proportion reach 82.9 V/V% within 6 h.