Methanol Reforming for Hydrogen Production: Advances in Catalysts, Nanomaterials, Reactor Design, and Fuel Cell Integration

Abstract

Methanol reforming has emerged as a leading pathway for on-demand hydrogen production, particularly for applications in portable power and fuel cells. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of methanol steam reforming (MSR), partial oxidation (POX), autothermal reforming (ATR), and recent integration strategies with renewable systems and fuel cells. Emphasis is placed on catalyst design, reaction mechanisms, reactors, operational parameters, and recent nanostructured catalyst innovations, such as single-atom catalysts (SACs), bimetallic, carbon nanotubes, perovskites, and alloy nanomaterials. This review critically evaluates recent progress, highlighting how tailored catalyst morphologies, metal–support interactions, and synthesis methods translate into enhanced methanol conversion, H₂ selectivity, and CO suppression. Notably, low-temperature SACs and Zn-modified bimetallic systems exhibit remarkable performance metrics, pointing toward viable pathways for clean hydrogen production. Furthermore, emerging approaches like plasma-assisted dry reforming and chemical looping integration present promising solutions for CO₂ utilization. Recent applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in catalyst screening and reaction modeling also show potential to accelerate the discovery of high-efficiency systems. By synthesizing these findings and identifying the gaps in current research, this review outlines future directions for scalable, low-emission methanol reforming technologies, aiming to support the global transition toward a hydrogen-based energy economy.