39 Nanocomposite Catalysts for Steam Reforming of Methane and Biofuels: Design and Performance Vladislav Sadykov, Natalia Mezentseva, Galina Alikina, Rimma Bunina, Vladimir Pelipenko, Anton Lukashevich, Zakhar Vostrikov, Vladimir Rogov, Tamara Krieger, Arkady Ishchenko, Vladimir Zaikovsky, Lyudmila Bobrova, Julian Ross, Oleg Smorygo, Alevtina Smirnova, Bert Rietveld and Frans van Berkel, 1 Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Novosibirsk State University, 2 University of Limerick, 3 Powder Metallurgy Institute, 4 Eastern Connecticut State University, 5 Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, 1 Russia 2 Ireland 3 Belarus 4 USA 5 Netherlands 1. Introduction Design of nanocomposite materials with high mixed ionic-electronic conductivity (MIEC) and oxygen mobility possessing a high and stable performance in real operation conditions is now considered as one of the most promising trend in developing new anode materials for IT SOFC (Primdahl & Mogensen, 2002; Atkinson et al., 2004; Wincewicz & Cooper, 2005; Dicks, 1998; Kharton et al, 2006; Marina et al, 1999; Xia & Liu, 2002; Zha et al, 2004; Ishihara et al, 2000) and structured catalysts for steam/autothermal reforming of gas and liquid fuels (Souza & Schmal, 2003; Domine et al., 2008; Sadykov et al., 2009). State-of-the art Ni/Y 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 (Ni/YSZ) cermet anodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have excellent catalytic properties and stability in the oxidation of hydrogen fuel at SOFC operation conditions (Atkinson et al., 2004). However, the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure and the unsolved hydrogen storage problem have initiated the research aimed at direct utilization of natural gas, which represents one of the key aspects of SOFC technology. Internal steam reforming (SR) is the most promising concept in using the natural gas (as well as bio-gas or bioethanol) as a fuel (Wincewicz & Cooper, 2005; Dicks, 1998). In this case, the reaction takes place directly in the anode compartment, allowing a better management within the stack of heat produced by the exothermic electrochemical oxidation and consumed by the endothermic reforming reaction. Unfortunately, with the Ni/YSZ cermet,