Metal sulfate decomposition using green Pd-based catalysts supported on ΓAl₂O₃ and SiC: A common step in sulfur-family thermochemical cycles

Thermochemical water splitting cycles (TWSCs) are processes with the potential for large-scale production of carbon-free hydrogen. Among these, the sulfur-family thermochemical cycles are considered the most promising due to both, the use of readily affordable chemical reagents and the temperature required to thermally decompose oxygenated sulfur compounds, which is achievable by solar means. Indeed, solar heat assisted metal sulfate decomposition is a key step, where catalysis can be employed to reduce decomposition temperature. Here we present a green route to synthesize Ag-Pd and Fe-Pd intermetallic alloy catalysts supported over γ-Al₂O₃ and Si-C by a microwave-assisted method using glycerol both as a solvent and as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The obtained supported catalysts were physicochemically characterized. Fe-Pd/Al₂O₃ catalyst exhibited the best performance, abating the zinc sulfate decomposition temperature by ca. 85 °C in comparison with other reported catalysts.