The invention addressed two critical issues in fuel processing for fuel
cell application, i.e. catalyst cost and operating stability. The
existing state-of-the-art fuel reforming catalyst uses Rh and platinum
supported over refractory oxide which add significant cost to the fuel
cell system. Supported metals agglomerate under elevated temperature
during reforming and decrease the catalyst activity. The catalyst is a
perovskite oxide or a Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide containing rare-earth
elements, catalytically active firs row transition metal elements, and
stabilizing elements, such that the catalyst is a single phase in high
temperature oxidizing conditions and maintains a primarily perovskite or
Ruddlesden-Popper structure under high temperature reducing conditions.
The catalyst can also contain alkaline earth dopants, which enhance the
catalytic activity of the catalyst, but do not compromise the stability
of the perovskite structure.