Viability of Au/CeO2–ZnO/Al2O3 Catalysts for Pure Hydrogen Production by the Water–Gas Shift Reaction

The production of H2 pure enough for use in fuel cells requires the development of very efficient catalysts for the water–gas shift reaction. Herein, a series of gold catalysts supported on ZnO‐promoted CeO2–Al2O3 are presented as interesting systems for the purification of H2 streams through the water–gas shift reaction. The addition of ZnO remarkably promotes the activity of an Au/CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst. This increase in activity is mainly associated with the enhanced oxygen storage capacity exhibited for the Zn‐containing solids. High activity and good stability and resistance towards start‐up–shut‐down situations was found, which makes these catalysts a promising alternative for CO clean‐up applications.