H2 Production by Steam Reforming of Saccharina Japonica-Derived Liquefied Oils on Nixcuy Hydrotalcite-Derived Catalysts

H2 is highlighted as a sustainable energy resource, and mainly produced by steam reforming of fossil fuels, which emit the greenhouse gases. Marine biomass is a promising alternative source because of its high productivity and carbon neutrality compared to terrestrial biomass. In this work, we studied liquefied bio-oil derived from Saccharina japonica (macroalgae) as a renewable H2 resource by steam reforming on NiCu/MgAl hydrotalcite-derived catalysts (NixCu1.5−xMg1.5Al1.0). After the hydrothermal liquefaction of S. japonica, remaining minerals were successfully removed by a desalting process. Owing to synergetic interaction between Ni and Cu, the Ni/Cu atomic ratio affected the reducibility and particle size of the NixCu1.5−xMg1.5Al1.0 catalyst, as well as its performance in the steam reforming of bio-oil. Especially, at an optimized Ni:Cu atomic ratio of 1:1, the catalyst had the smallest NiCu alloy particles and maximized H2 production rates with the highest H2/CO ratio of 28. Overall, the results suggest that marine biomass is a good resource for hydrogen, and that NixCu1.5-xMg1.5Al1.0 catalysts are promising for the steam reforming of the marine biomass-derived bio-oil