Improvement strategies for Ni-based alcohol steam reforming catalysts

Steam reforming(SR)of fossil methane is already a well-known,documented and established expertise in the industrial sector as it accounts for the vast majority of global hydrogen production.From a sustainable development perspective,hydrogen production by SR of biomass-derived feedstock represents a promising alternative that could help to lower the carbon footprint of the traditional process.In this regard,bio-alcohols such as methanol,ethanol or glycerol are among the attractive candidates that could serve as green hydrogen carriers as they decompose at relatively low temperatures in the presence of water compared to methane,allowing for improved H_(2)yields.However,significant challenges remain regarding the activity and stability of nickel-based catalysts,which are most widely used in alcohol SR processes due to their affordability and ability to break C–C,O–H and C–H bonds,yet are prone to rapid deactivation primarily caused by coke deposition and metal particle sintering.In this state-of-the-art review,a portfolio of strategies to improve the performance of Ni-based catalysts used in alcohol SR processes is unfolded with the intent of pinpointing the critical issues in catalyst development.Close examination of the literature reveals that the efforts tackling these recurring issues can be directed at the active metal,either by tuning Ni dispersion and Ni-support interactions or by targeting synergistic effects in bimetallic systems,while others focus on the support,either by modifying acid-base character,oxygen mobility,or by embedding Ni in specific crystallographic structures.This review provides a very useful tool to orient future work in catalyst development.

Catalytic combustion of toluene over Pd-based monolithic catalysts with a novel washcoat Ce_(0.8)Zr_(0.15)La_(0.05)O_δ

Two novel washcoats Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ and Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 was prepared by an impregnation method, which acted as a host for the active Pd component to prepare Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate and Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2/substrate monolithic catalysts for toluene combustion. The washcoats was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Brunauner-Emmett-Teller (BET), and H2-temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The result indicated that both the washcoats had strong vibration-shock resistance according to ultrasonic test. Doping La3+ into CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution could generate more oxygen vacancies, and could inhibit the sinter of CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution when calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The washcoat Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ had much better redox properties. The reductive temperature of Ce4+ species shifted to low temperature by 60 °C when the washcoats calcined at high temperatures (800, 900 and 1000 °C). The Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate monolithic catalyst calcination at 500 °C had the best catalytic activity and the 95% toluene conversion at a temperature as low as 190 °C. When calcined at low temperature (500 and 700 °C), the catalytic activity has little improvement, however, when calcined at high temperature, the catalytic activity of Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/substrate monolithic catalysts had significant improvement. As catalyst washcoat, the Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ had better thermal stability than the washcoat Ce0.8Zr0.2O2, the developed Pd/Ce0.8Zr0.15La0.05Oδ/ substrate monolithic catalyst in this work was promising for eliminating Volatile organic compounds.

Hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone with bimetallic monolithic catalysts: An experimental and DFT study

We studied the hydrogenation of 2‐ethylanthraquinone（eAQ） over Pd/SiO2/COR（COR = cordierite） monometallic and Pd‐M/SiO2/COR（M = Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu） bimetallic monolithic catalysts, which were prepared by the co‐impregnation method. Detailed investigations showed that the particle sizes and structures of the Pd‐M（M = Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu） bimetallic monolithic catalysts were great‐ly affected by the second metal M and the mass ratio of Pd to the second metal M. By virtue of the small particle size and the strong interaction between Pd and Ni of Pd‐Ni alloy, Pd‐Ni bimetallic monolithic catalysts with the mass ratio of Pd/Ni = 2 achieved the highest H2O2 yield（7.5 g/L） and selectivity（95.3%）. Moreover, density functional theory calculations were performed for eAQ ad‐sorption to gain a better mechanistic understanding of the molecule‐surface interactions between eAQ and the Pd（1 1 1） or PdM（1 1 1）（M = Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu） surfaces. It was found that the high activity of the bimetallic Pd‐Ni catalyst was a result of strong chemisorption between Pd3Ni1（1 1 1） and the carbonyl group of eAQ.

Effect of Ni Loading and Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) Promoter on Ni-Based SBA-15 Catalysts for Steam Reforming of Methane

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with Ni contents ranging from 5wt% to 20wt% as well as 10wt%Ni/10wt%CexZr1-xO2/SBA-15 （x=0, 0.5, 1） were prepared. The structures of the catalysts were characterized using XRD, TPR, TEM and BET techniques. The catalytic activities of the catalysts for steam reforming of methane were evaluated in a continuous flow microreactor. The results indicated that both the Ni/SBA-15 and the Ni/CexZr1-xO2/SBA-15 catalysts had good catalytic activities at at- mospheric pressure. The 10wt%Ni/SBA-15 catalyst exhibited excellent stability at 800 ℃ for time on stream of 740 h. After the reaction, carbon deposits were not formed on the surface of the catalyst. There existed a regular hexagonal mesoporous structure in the Ni/SBA-15 and the Ni/CexZr1-xO2/SBA-15 catalysts. The nickel species and the CexZr1-xO2 component were all confined in the SBA-15 mesopores. The CexZr1-xO2 could promote dispersion of the nickel species in the Ni/CexZr1-xO2/SBA-15 catalysts.

Particle/metal-based monolithic catalysts dual-bed reactor with beds-interspace supplementary oxygen:Construction and performance for oxidative coupling of methane

A novel particle/metal-based monolithic catalysts dual-bed reactor with beds-interspace supplementary oxygen is constructed comprising of the upper-layer 5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst and the under-layer 3 wt%Ce-5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SBA-15/Al2O3/FeCrA1 metal-based monolithic catalyst as well as a side tube in the interspaces of two layers for supplementing 02. The reaction performance of oxidative coupling of methane （OCM） in the dual-bed reactor system is evaluated. The effects of the reaction parameters such as feed CH4/O2 ratio, reaction temperature and side tube feed 02 flowrate on the catalytic performance are investigated. The results indicate that the suggested mode of dual-bed reactor exhibits an excellent performance for OCM. CH4 conversion of 33.2%, C2H4 selectivity of 46.5% and C2 yield of 22.5% could be obtained, which have been increased by 6.4%, 4.1% and 5.5%, respectively, as compared with 5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst in a single-bed reactor and increased by 10.7%, 31.9% and 17.7%, respectively, as compared with 3 wt%Ce-5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SBA-15/Al2O3/FeCrA1 metal-based monolithic catalyst in a single-bed reactor. The effective promotion of OCM performance in the reactor would supply a valuable reference for the industrialization of OCM process.

Acidic Montmorillonite/Cordierite Monolithic Catalysts for Cleavage of Cumene Hydroperoxide

In this work,a series of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were prepared by a coating method using silica sol as the binder.The morphology and structure of the acidic montmorillonite/cordierite samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD),N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms,and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide(CHP) in a conventional fixed-bed reactor was chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic activity of the monolithic catalysts.The influences of acidic montmorillonite loading,reaction temperature.CHP concentration,and weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) on the catalytic activity and selectivity of phenol were studied.The results indicated that the obtained acidic montmorillonite/cordierite monolithic catalysts were firm and compact,and the loading of acidic montmorillonite was found to reach 40%(by mass) after three coating operations.The surface area of acidic montmorillonite/cordierite catalysts increases greatly as acidic montmorillonite loading increases due to higher surface area of acidic montmorillonite.Under the optimal reaction conditions(acidic montmorillonite loading of 32.5%(by mass),temperature of 80 ℃,a mass ratio of CHP to acetone of 1:3,and WHSV of CHP of 90 h^(-1)),the conversion of CHP can reach 100%,and the selectivity of phenol is up to 99.8%.

Tuning the properties of Ni-based catalyst via La incorporation for efficient hydrogenation of petroleum resin

The hydrogenation of petroleum resin(PR)is an effective process to prepare high value-added hydrogenated PR(HPR).However,the preparation of non-noble metal-based catalysts with high catalytic activity for PR hydrogenation still remains a challenge.Herein,a La promoted Ni-based catalyst is reported through the thermal reduction of quaternary Ni La Mg Al-layered double hydroxides(Ni La Mg Al-LDHs).The incorporation of La is beneficial to the reduction and stability of Ni particles with reduced particle size,and the increased alkalinity effectively mitigates the breakage of molecular chains of PR.As a result,the La promoted Ni-based catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity and excellent stability for PR hydrogenation.A hydrogenation degree of 95.4%and 96.1%can be achieved for HC_(5)PR and HC_(9) PR with less reduced softening point,respectively.Notably,the hydrogenation degree still maintains at 92.7%even after 100 hours’reaction,much better than that without La incorporation or prepared using conventional impregnation method.

Carbon dioxide reforming of methane on monolithic Ni/Al_2O_3-based catalysts

Nickel-alumina catalysts supported on cordierite monoliths of honeycomb structure surpass essentially the conventional granulated ones with respect to the output in carbon dioxide reforming of methane. Adjusting the surface acid-base properties of catalysts by introduction of alkali metal （Na, K） oxides inhibits the carbonization and as a result, improves the operational stability of these catalysts. An effect of promotion of nickel-alumina based composite doped by lanthanum oxide is found. This effect, caused by an additional route for the CO2 activation on Ni-La2O3/Al2O3/cordierite catalyst, is displayed in increase of methane conversion under conditions of an oxidant excess.

Effect of Cu promoter on Ni-based SBA-15 catalysts for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with 5wt% to 15wt% Ni content as well as a series of 12.5%Ni/Cu/SBA-15 catalysts with 1% to 10% copper content were prepared by the impregnation method. The catalytic performance for partial oxidation of methane was investigated in a continuous flow microreactor under atmospheric pressure. The textural and chemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, BET and Hz-TPR techniques. The results indicated that the catalysts modified with Cu promoter showed better performance than those without modification. For the 12.5%Ni/2.5%/Cu/SBA-15 catalyst, at 850 ℃ the conversion of CH4 reached 97.9% and the selectivity of CO and H2 reached 98.0% and 96.0%, respectively. In XRD patterns of the Ni/Cu/SBA-15 catalyst with 7.5 to 10% Cu contents there were CuO characteristic peaks beside NiO characteristic peaks. The mesoporous structure of SBA-15 was retained in all of the catalysts. TPR analysis of the catalysts revealed that a strong interaction between Ni, Cu promoter and SBA-15 support may be existed. This interaction enhanced significantly the redox properties of the catalysts resulting in the higher catalytic activity.

Oxidative coupling of methane in a dual-bed reactor comprising of particle/cordierite monolithic catalysts

A dual-bed reactor was constructed comprising of a 5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst and a 4%Ce-5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 /cordierite monolithic catalyst.The reaction performance of the oxidative coupling of methane （OCM） over the dual-bed reactor system was evaluated.The effects of the bed height and operation mode,as well as the reaction parameters such as reaction temperature,CH4/O2 ratio and flowrate of feed gas,on the catalytic performance were investigated.The results indicated that the suggested dual-bed reactor exhibited a good performance for the OCM reaction when the feed gases firstly passed through the particle catalyst bed and then to the monolithic catalyst bed.A CH4 conversion of 38.2% and a C2H4 selectivity of 43.3% could be obtained using the dual-bed reactor with a particle catalyst bed height of 10 mm and a monolithic catalyst bed height of 50 mm.Both the CH4 conversion and C2H4 selectivity have increased by 2.5% and 12.8%,respectively,as compared with the 5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst in a conventional single-bed reactor and by 12.9% and 23.0%,respectively,as compared with the 4%Ce-5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 /cordierite monolithic catalyst in a single-bed reactor.The catalytic performance of the OCM in the dual-bed reactor system has been improved remarkably.

Active straining engineering on self-assembled stacked Ni-based hybrid electrode for ultra-low overpotential

Generating sufficient strains on metal surfaces are highly challenging owing to that most metals can deform plastically to relax the strains on the surfaces.In this work,we developed a facile but highly efficient stacked deposition strategy to in situ activation and reconstruction of NiO/NiOOH on Ni matrix,following with the migration of Fe ions to NiOOH.The Fe sites on the Ni/NiO/NiOOH facilitate the formation of the stable*OH oxygenated intermediates,and the Ni matrix in the catalyst provides the catalyst excellent stability.The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)performance of the stacked NiFe-5 with compressive strain displays the strengthened binding to oxygenated intermediates and superior OER activity,the ultralow overpotentials of 162 versus reversible hydrogen electrode at 10 mA cm^(-2).On the other hand,the Ni-5 without the incorporation of Fe has shown an outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)activity,affording an overpotential of 47 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2).The NiFe-5‖Ni-5 enables the overall water splitting at a voltage of 1.508 V to achieve 20 mA cm^(-2) with remarkable durability.The stacked deposition strategy improves binding strength of Ni-based catalysts to oxygenated intermediates via generating compressive strain,causing high catalytic activities on OER and HER.

Effect of MgO promoter on Ni-based SBA-15 catalysts for combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with Ni contents ranging from 5 wt% to 15 wt%, as well as another series of 10%Ni/MgO/SBA-15 catalysts, in which the range of the MgO content was from 1 wt% to 7 wt%, were prepared, and their catalytic performances for the reaction of combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane were investigated in a continuous flow microreactor. The structures of the catalysts were characterized using the XRD, H2-TPR and CO2-TPD techniques. The results indicated that the CO selectivity for this reaction was very close to 100%, and the H2/CO ratio of the product gas could be controlled by changing the H2O/CO2 molar ratio of the feed gas. The simultaneous and plentiful existing of steam and CO2 had a significant influence on the catalytic performance of the 10%Ni/SBA-15 catalyst without modification. After reacting at 850 °C for 120 h over this catalyst, the CH4 conversion dropped from 98% to 85%, and the CO2 conversion decreased from 86% to 53%. However, the 10%Ni/3%MgO/SBA-15 catalyst exhibited a much better catalytic performance, and after reacting for 620 h, the CO2 conversion over this catalyst dropped from 92% to around 77%, while the CH4 conversion was not decreased. Oxidation of the Ni0 species as well as carbon deposition during the reaction were the main reasons for the deactivation of the catalyst without modification. On the other hand, modification by the MgO promoter improved the dispersion of the Ni0 species, and enhanced the CO2 adsorption affinity which in turn depressed the occurring of carbon deposition, and thus retarded the deactivation process.

Effect of O_2 and H_2O on the tri-reforming of the simulated biogas to syngas over Ni-based SBA-15 catalysts

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with Ni contents from 7.5 wt% to 15 wt% were prepared by impregnation method.The effect of O2 and H2O on the combined reforming of the simulated biogas to syngas was investigated in a continuous flow fixed-bed micro-reactor.The stability of the catalyst was tested at 800 ？C.The results indicated that 10wt%Ni/SBA-15 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activities for the combined reforming of the simulated biogas to syngas.Under the reaction conditions of the feed gas molar ratios CH4/CO2/O2/H2O = 2/1/0.6/0.6,GHSV = 24000 ml·gcat^-1·h^-1 and the reaction temperature T = 800 ℃,the conversions of CH4 and CO2 were 92.8% and 76.3%,respectively,and the yields of CO and H2 were 99.0% and 82.0%,respectively.The catalytic activities of the catalyst did not decrease obviously after 100 h reaction time on stream.

Effect of Fe_2O_3 Loading Amount on Catalytic Properties of Monolithic Fe_2O_3/Ce_(0.67)Zr_(0.33)O_2-Al_2O_3 Catalyst for Methane Combustion

Ce0.67Zr0.33O2-Al2O3 solid solution was prepared by the co-precipitation method. Fe2O3-based catalysts supported on the solid solution were obtained by the impregnation method. The article revealed that the optimal loading amount of Fe2O3 on Ce0.67Zr0.33 O2-Al2O3 in our experimental condition for catalytic combustion of methane was 8% （ mass fraction）. The prepared catalysts were characterized by BET, TPR, XRD analyses, and their catalytic activity was investigated after being calcined at 873 K and after being aged in water gas at 1273 K. When the loading amount of Fe203 was 8% （ mass fraction）, the catalyst held the highest activity, and the best temperature speciality and thermal stability. The complete-conversion temperature of methane for fresh and aged sample was 788 and 838 K, respectively. The range between the light-off temperature and the complete-conversion temperature was only 15 K. The characterization results of XRD indicated that Fe2O3 was well dispersed on the Ce0.67Zr0.33O2-Al2O3 matrix. The results of BET and TPR were in good harmony with the catalytic activity results.

Catalytic Combustion of Methane over Co_(1-x)Mg_(x)O/Al_(2)O_(3)/FeCrAl Monolithic Catalysts

A series of CoxMgxO/Al2O3/FeCrAl catalysts （x=0-1） were prepared. The structures of the catalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, and TPR analyses. The catalytic activity of the catalysts for methane combustion was evaluated in a continuous flow microreactor. The results indicated that the active washcoats adhered well on the FeCrAl foils. The phases in the catalysts were Co--xMgxO solid solutions, α-Al2O3, and γ-Al2O3. The surface particle size of the catalysts varied with variations in the molar ratios of Co to Mg. The Co component of the Co1_xMgxO/Al2O3/FeCrAl catalysts played an important role in the catalytic activity for methane combustion. In the Co1-xMgxO/AluO3/FeCrAl series catalyst （x=0.2-0.8）, the catalytic activity in terms of x was in the order of 0.5〉0.2〉0.8 under the experimental conditions. The presence of Mg in these catalysts could promote the thermal stability to a large extent. There were strong interactions between the Co1-xMgxO oxides and the AluO3/FeCrAl supports.

Studies on Catalysis in Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas(Ⅰ)──Performance and Characterization of Ni-based Catalysts

Highly active and selective Ni-based catalysts for partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas (CO/H,) have been studied and developed. Spectroscopic characterization by XRD, XPS, EPR, etc. demonstrated that under the POM reaction conditions, the Ni-components of the catalysts investigated were reduced and enriched on the surface to form metallic Ni0-phase. A comparative study of the first series of transition-metals showed that only Ni and Co have a high POM activity and selectivity, whereas the others (including Mn, Fe, Cu, etc. ) give mainly complete combustion products, Co, and H2O. The results favor the following viewpoints: the PoM activity is related with the rapidly changeable valence transitionmetal sites, M0/M2+ (e. g. Ni0/Ni2+ ), on the surface of the functioning catalysts;the transition-metal sites in zero-valence state seem to be responsible for the activation and dehydrogenation of methane by homolytic splitting of its C-H bonds on these sites. and the nature of rapidly changeable valence of the active sties is requisite for activation and rapid conversion of dioxygen.

Effects of porous oxide layer on performance of Pd-based monolithic catalysts for 2-ethylanthraquinone hydrogenation

Pd/oxide/cordierite monolithic catalysts(oxide = Al_2O_3, SiO_2 and SiO_2\\Al_2O_3) were prepared by the impregnation method. The results of ICP, XRD, SEM–EDX, XPS and N_2 adsorption–desorption measurements revealed that the Pd penetration depth increased with increasing the thickness of oxide layer, and the catalysts with Al_2O_3 layers had the larger pore size than those with SiO_2 and SiO_2\\Al_2O_3 layers. Catalytic hydrogenation of 2-ethylanthraquinone(eA Q), a key step of the H_2O_2 production by the anthraquinone process, over the various monolithic catalysts(60 °C, atmosphere pressure) showed that the monolithic catalyst with the moderate thickness of Al_2O_3 layer(about 6 μm) exhibited the highest conversion of e AQ(99.1%) and hydrogenation efficiency(10.0 g·L^(-1)). This could be ascribed to the suitable Pd penetration depth and the larger pore size, which provides a balance between the distribution of Pd and accessibility of active sites by the reactants.

Optimizing the oxide support composition in Pr-doped CeO_(2) towards highly active and selective Ni-based CO_(2) methanation catalysts

In this study,Ni catalysts supported on Pr-doped Ce O_(2) are studied for the CO_(2) methanation reaction and the effect of Pr doping on the physicochemical properties and the catalytic performance is thoroughly evaluated.It is shown,that Pr^(3+)ions can substitute Ce^(4+)ones in the support lattice,thereby introducing a high population of oxygen vacancies,which act as active sites for CO_(2) chemisorption.Pr doping can also act to reduce the crystallite size of metallic Ni,thus promoting the active metal dispersion.Catalytic performance evaluation evidences the promoting effect of low Pr loadings(5 at%and 10 at%)towards a higher catalytic activity and lower CO_(2) activation energy.On the other hand,higher Pr contents negate the positive effects on the catalytic activity by decreasing the oxygen vacancy population,thereby creating a volcano-type trend towards an optimum amount of aliovalent substitution.

Preparation,Structure Characterization and Hydrodesulfurization Performance of B-Ni_2P/SBA-15/Cordierite Monolithic Catalysts

A series of B-Ni2P/SBA-15/cord monolithic catalysts were prepared by coating the slurry of the B-Ni2P/SBA-15 precursors on a pretreated cordierite support, and followed by temperature-programmed reduction in a H2 flow. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and N2 adsorption-desorption technique. The catalytic activities for the hydrodesulfurization （HDS） of dibenzothiophene （DBT） were evaluated. The results showed that Ni2P phase was present in all B-Ni2P/SBA-1 5/cord monolithic catalysts. The specific surface areas （SBET） of the B-Ni2P/SBA-15/cord monolithic catalysts was first increased to 167 m2· g-1, and then decreased to 155 m2· g-1 with the increase of boron contents. The catalytic activity also showed the similar trend with the increase of boron contents. The 1.75% （by mass） B-Ni2P/SBA-15/cord monolithic catalysts exhibited the highest DBT conversion of 98.4% at 380 ℃. The cordierite-based monolithic catalysts showed better low temperature sensitivity for HDS of DBT in comparison with the particle catalysts. Moreover, two HDS routes, direct desulfurization （DDS） and hydrogenation （HYD）, proceeded independently over B-Ni2P/SBA-15/cord monolithic catalysts and the main pathway was DDS.

Catalytic steam reforming of biomass over Ni-based catalysts: Conversion from poplar leaves to hydrogen-rich syngas

A series of Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with Ni contents from 5 wt%–20 wt%and CaO-12.5%Ni/SBA-15 catalysts with CaO contents from 1.4 wt%– 9.8 wt%have been prepared.The structure of the catalysts was characterized using X-ray diffraction（XRD）,N2 adsorption-desorption,transmission electron microscopy（TEM）and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）.The performance of catalytic steam reforming of the poplar leaves to the hydrogen-rich syngas was tested in a fixed-bed reactor.The results indicate that the 7.0wt%CaO-12.5wt%Ni/SBA-15 catalyst exhibits the best performance for the catalytic steam reforming of poplar leaves to hydrogen-rich syngas.The ratio of H2：CO can reach ca 5：1 in the hydrogen-rich syngas.The yield of H2 can reach 273.30 mL/g（poplar leaves）.In the CaO-Ni/SBA-15 catalyst,Ni active component mainly fills the role of catalytic steam reforming of the poplar leaves,and CaO active component mainly plays the role as water-gas shift and CO2 sorbent.