Aqueous Phase Methanol Reforming Catalyzed by Fe–Cu Alloy Nanoparticles Wrapped on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene

Small Fe-Cu nanoparticles (NPs) (about 1 nm) supported at a high loading (over 10 wt %) on N-doped graphitic carbon have been prepared in a single pyrolytic step from chitosan adsorbing Cu 2+ and Fe 2+ salts. The presence of N atoms appears to be crucial in the formation of small-sized metallic NPs. Interactions between Fe and Cu are reflected by a shift in the binding energy to higher (Fe) or lower (Cu) values and by H 2 thermo-programmed reduction measurements, showing a new reduction peak at intermediate temperature (375 C) between that of Cu (175 C) and that of Fe (450 C). Fe-Cu NPs embedded within the N-doped graphitic carbon matrix are extremely active (TOF 315 h -1 ) and selective (no CO detected) catalysts for methanol reforming in the aqueous phase with stoichiometric H 2 O amounts to H 2 and CO 2 . The results achieved with Fe-Cu compare favorably with those reported in the literature for catalysts based on Pt, Pd, or Ru.