Abstract
Effects of calcination on catalytic activity for steam reforming of methanol (SRM) over an Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystal (QC) leached with NaOH aq. have been investigated in terms of microstructure with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Calcination at 600 °C in air drastically improved the catalytic activity of the leached QC. TEM observations on cross-section of the samples revealed that cubic Cu x Fe3-x-y Al y O4 spinel was formed at the outermost layer of the leached QC after calcinations. Prior to the catalytic reaction, the Cu x Fe3-x-y Al y O4 spinel decomposed to a composite where fine Cu nanoparticles dispersed in (Fe,Al)3O4 matrix under H2 treatment at 300 °C. Drastic increase in catalytic activity is responsible for the fine Cu nanoparticles in the composite. The Cu nanoparticles sit along the same orientation with (Fe,Al)3O4, e.g., Cu [013]//(Fe,Al)3O4 [013] and Cu [200]//(Fe,Al)3O4 [400]. This orientation relationship may stabilize the Cu nanoparticles through a bonding of Cu–O–Fe.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. D. Morikawa at Tohoku University for his valuable comments and suggestions and thank Prof. M. Terauchi at Tohoku University for his support. The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at the BL15XU in SPring-8 with a help of Dr. Y. Matsushita and Dr. M. Tanaka (NIMS) and approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI). This work was supported by Global COE Program “Materials Integration, Tohoku University,” Ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology (MEXT)-Japan.
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Tanabe, T., Kameoka, S. & Tsai, A.P. Evolution of microstructure induced by calcination in leached Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystal and its effects on catalytic activity. J Mater Sci 46, 2242–2250 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-010-5063-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-010-5063-6