Ethanol steam reforming over Pt/Al2O3 and Rh/Al2O3 catalysts: The effect of impurities on selectivity and catalyst deactivation

•Rh and platinum catalysts show different behaviour in the presence of impurities.•Alcohol impurities deactivate all reactions over both catalysts.•Amine, ketone and aldehyde impurities poison steam reforming reaction over platinum catalyst but leave catalyst capable of ethanol decomposition and water gas shift.•Rhodium catalyst is deactivated by amine, ketone and aldehyde impurities but retains steam reforming activity.