Effect of support on the activity of Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> species for steam reforming of dimethyl ether

The effects of various supports on the catalytic activity of Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> for the steam reforming of DME have been examined. Among the various supported Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> catalysts, Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>/TiO<SUB>2</SUB> showed the highest DME steam reforming activity in terms of DME conversion and H<SUB>2</SUB> yield. The results from XRD, surface area and XPS indicate that the dispersion of Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> strongly depends on the catalyst support. A correlation between the XPS results and the DME steam reforming activity reveals that there is some electronic interaction between Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> and the support element. The large electronic interaction found in Ga<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>/TiO<SUB>2</SUB> leads to the best catalytic performance among all the catalysts