Patent ID: 8349289

Claim:
A method to convert a liquid organic fuel into gasses comprising directly contacting the liquid organic fuel and a surface that comprises a rhodium-cerium catalyst in the presence of oxygen gas; wherein the gasses comprise molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide; the rhodium-cerium catalyst is maintained at about 400° C. to about 1600° C.; the liquid organic fuel comprises carbon and oxygen, and the carbon/oxygen ratio of the fuel is about 0.1 to about 20.0; and the contacting occurs optionally in the additional presence of a C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon gas, water, an organic solvent, an inert gas, or a combination thereof; to provide the molecular hydrogen and the carbon monoxide; and wherein the liquid organic fuel comprises a liquid solution comprising starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, monosaccharides, disaccharides, or a combination thereof, or soybean oil, glycerol, or a C 8 -C 18 fatty acid or ester thereof; and wherein the liquid organic fuel is directly impinged onto the rhodium-cerium catalyst by spraying, to produce small droplets or an aerosol, and the spraying is carried out by use of a fuel injector, pressurized nozzle, fogger, or nebulizer.