(478d) Density Functional Theory Evaluation of M-Doped Ceria for Desulfurization and Hydrocarbon Conversion
AIChE Annual Meeting
2012
2012 AIChE Annual Meeting
Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division
Computational Catalysis V
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - 1:24pm to 1:42pm
Biomass conversion to liquid fuels may be accomplished through gasification to syngas followed by fuel synthesis processes, enabling a renewable energy source of liquid fuels. Prior to fuel synthesis catalysts, the syngas must be cleaned of sulfur and tar species. In a Department of Energy forecast for 2012, approximately 50% of the cost to produce ethanol from biomass is involved in syngas cleanup. Ceria-based mixtures have shown promise in both desulfurization and hydrocarbon conversion. Our goal is to design a ceria-based catalyst that can reform the large hydrocarbons into CO and H2 and remove sulfur at high temperatures, thus making biomass gasification-based processes viable for sustainable liquid fuel production. Density functional theory (DFT+U) is used to generate composition-function relationships for H2S adsorption and hydrocarbon conversion. Mn-doped CeO2 has been shown experimentally to absorb H2S and reform hydrocarbons. Methane adsorption energy correlates with oxygen vacancy formation energy for M-doped CeO2. Dopants in CeO2 can alter the reducibility of the ceria atoms or become the reduction center. The methane conversion rate follows a volcano relationship with surface reducibility.
See more of this Session: Computational Catalysis V
See more of this Group/Topical: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division
See more of this Group/Topical: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division