Ketergantungan pada energi fosil telah memaksa manusia untuk mencari energi alternatif yang ramah lingkungan. Energi hidrogen merupakan salah satu sumber energi paling bersih yang dihasilkan dari pembakaran gas hidrogen. Akan tetapi, teknologi penyimpanan dan transportasi hidrogen belum cukup efisien, sehingga diperlukan pendekatan baru. Liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) merupakan teknologi penyimpanan hidrogen dengan berbagai macam keuntungan, seperti kapasitas penyimpanan hidrogen yang tinggi, relatif aman, dan reversibel. Akan tetapi, dibutuhkan katalis yang murah dan efisien dalam mengkatalisis reaksi hidrogenasi dan dehidrogenasinya. Penelitian ini berfokus pada pengembangan katalis bimetalik PtNi/θ-Al2O3 untuk mengkatalisis reaksi hidrogenasi dan dehidrogenasi sistem LOHC toluena-metilsikloheksana. Katalis disintesis menggunakan metode impregnasi basah, dan pengaruh konsentrasi dan metode impregnasinya diteliti. Katalis 0.5Pt/10Ni/θ-Al2O3 yang disintesis menggunakan metode impregnasi bertahap menunjukkan performa terbaik dalam hidrogenasi toluena yang disebabkan oleh interaksi sinergistik antara Pt dan Ni. Optimasi kondisi reaksi juga dilakukan dengan memvariasikan suhu, tekanan, dan LHSV hidrogenasi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pendekatan bimetalik berhasil meningkatkan aktivitas katalitiknya dalam hidrogenasi toluena.

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Our dependence on fossil fuels has forced humanity to search for a greener energy. Hydrogen energy is considered as one of the cleanest energy sources produced from the combustion of hydrogen gas. However, hydrogen storage and transport technology is not efficient enough; a new strategy needs to be employed. Liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) is an emerging hydrogen storage technology with various advantages, such as high hydrogen storage capacity, relatively safe, and reversible. However, a cheap and efficient catalyst is needed to catalyze both hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. This study focused on the development of bimetallic catalyst PtNi/θ-Al2O3 to catalyze the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions of the LOHC system toluene-methylcyclohexane. The catalyst was synthesized using a wet impregnation method, and the effects of its concentration and impregnation method were studied. The sequentially impregnated 0.5Pt/10Ni/θ-Al2O3 catalyst showed the best performance in toluene hydrogenation due to the synergistic interaction between Pt and Ni. Optimization of reaction conditions was also carried out by varying the temperature, pressure, and LHSV of hydrogenation. The results of this study proved that the bimetallic approach successfully increased its catalytic activity in toluene hydrogenation.