Reusable Homogeneous Catalytic System for Hydrogen Production from Methanol and Water

An efficient system catalyzed by a Ru-PNN pincer complex was developed for reforming methanol to H2 and CO2 (absorbed by base) under relatively low temperature (around 100 °C), and good yields of H2 were obtained (∼80%). The catalyst solution can be reused without isolation and purification, with no decrease in catalytic activity being observed for a period of ∼1 month. Decomposition of formic acid, which is likely to be the last step of the methanol reforming reaction, was also investigated, and the formic acid adduct of the catalyst was fully characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography.