The Co/CeO₂ and Ni/CeO₂ catalysts were obtained by impregnation method with using different active phase precursors, different impregnation solvents and in presence of organic additive in order to improve cobalt/nickel dispersion and metal-support interaction. An addition of citric acid to precursor metal salt solution allowed to obtain their better dispersion and smaller metal particle size of Co/CeO₂ and Ni/CeO₂ samples. Whereas catalysts obtained from ammonia solution exhibited the largest size of metal particles. The key step for steam reforming of ethanol at 420 °C over both Co/CeO₂ and Ni/CeO₂ catalysts is ethanol dehydrogenation which occurs preferentially on cobalt/nickel terrace sites. But efficiency to cleavage C─C bond is favored by the edge/steps sites. Because nucleation of carbon requires relative large domains of flat terraces or larger ensemble sizes, the terrace atoms are involved in the catalyst deactivation under SRE conditions. Whereas the increase in fraction of edge and corner, i.e. better dispersion and strong metal-oxide interactions between metal and ceria could enhance the transfer of oxygen and thus improve the oxidation of carbon formed on the catalysts surface under SRE conditions. Catalytic performance of Ni/CeO₂ catalysts in SRE reaction depends on the nickel crystallite size. Whereas catalytic performance of Co/CeO₂ catalysts in SRE reaction is related to combination of cobalt crystallite size dependence and the oxidation state of the cobalt nanoparticles.

Co / CeO ₂和Ni / CeO ₂催化剂是通过浸渍法，采用不同的活性相前驱体，不同的浸渍溶剂，并在有机添加剂存在下得到的，以改善钴/镍的分散性和金属-载体的相互作用。在前体金属盐溶液中添加柠檬酸可使Co / CeO ₂和Ni / CeO ₂样品获得更好的分散性和更小的金属粒度。而从氨溶液获得的催化剂表现出最大尺寸的金属颗粒。Co / CeO ₂和Ni / CeO ₂上420°C的乙醇蒸汽重整的关键步骤催化剂是乙醇脱氢，它优先发生在钴/镍梯田部位。但是边缘/台阶部位有利于裂解CC键。因为碳的成核需要平坦平台的较大区域或较大的整体尺寸，所以平台原子参与了SRE条件下的催化剂失活。而边缘和角部分的增加，即更好的分散性和金属与二氧化铈之间的强金属-氧化物相互作用可以增强氧的转移，从而改善在SRE条件下在催化剂表面形成的碳的氧化。Ni / CeO ₂催化剂在SRE反应中的催化性能取决于镍微晶尺寸。而Co / CeO _2的催化性能 SRE反应中的催化剂与钴微晶尺寸依赖性和钴纳米颗粒的氧化态的组合有关。