Dear Colleagues,

The current dependence on fossil fuels and the environmental concern associated with global warming and climate change are promoting the development of alternative routes that contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. In this scenario, biomass valorization by thermochemical routes is gaining increasing attention for the production of fuels and chemicals. Amongst them, the catalytic steam reforming of biomass-derived products provides an opportunity for H₂ production from renewable and sustainable sources. Two major routes can be distinguished as direct and indirect ones: the integrated process of biomass pyrolysis and in-line steam reforming, and the indirect approach, which involves the production of bio-oil from biomass pyrolysis and its subsequent transportation to a centralized reforming unit. The development of these H₂ production processes is conditioned by catalyst performance, and therefore, a suitable design of the reforming catalysts is of uttermost importance for improving catalyst activity, selectivity and stability. Despite a wide range of base transition metals having been studied in the literature, Ni-based catalysts are the most used ones, due to the suitable balance between activity and cost. However, the fast catalyst deactivation by coke deposition is still the main challenge that we face.

This Special Issue of Catalysts is focused on covering recent progress and trends of the development of metal-based catalysts in the steam reforming of biomass pyrolysis volatiles and bio-oil compounds. Original research papers and short reviews dealing with the optimization of process conditions, synthesis of reforming catalysts, knowledge of catalyst deactivation, and reactor design and configuration are especially welcome

Dr. Laura Santamaria
Dr. Maite Artetxe
Guest Editors

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• steam reforming
• Ni-based catalyst
• biomass
• bio-oil
• hydrogen
• pyrolysis-reforming
• deactivation