h i g h l i g h t s < Ceria-supported cobalt catalysts, with different cobalt contents, were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. < The catalysts were evaluated for the steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production. < The cobalt content of the catalyst influences the metal-support interaction which results in distinct catalyst performances. < The catalyst with the highest cobalt content showed the best performance among the catalysts tested.
a b s t r a c tIn this paper, Co/CeO 2 catalysts, with different cobalt contents were prepared by the polymeric precursor method and were evaluated for the steam reforming of ethanol. The catalysts were characterized by N 2 physisorption (BET method), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UVevisible diffuse reflectance, temperature programmed reduction analysis (TPR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM). It was observed that the catalytic behavior could be influenced by the experimental conditions and the nature of the catalyst employed. Physicalechemical characterizations revealed that the cobalt content of the catalyst influences the metal-support interaction which results in distinct catalyst performances. The catalyst with the highest cobalt content showed the best performance among the catalysts tested, exhibiting complete ethanol conversion, hydrogen selectivity close to 66% and good stability at a reaction temperature of 600 C.