The autothermal reforming of methanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol and their solutions in water was examined over platinum- and rhodium-based catalysts supported on alumina foams at a contact time of similar to 10 ms. Catalyst, washcoat, carbon-to-oxygen ratio, and steam-to-carbon ratio were varied to maximize selectivity to H-2. Rhodium catalysts with the addition of ceria on a gamma-Al2O3 washcoat layer exhibited the best combination of high fuel conversion and high selectivity to H-2 near equilibrium. Steam addition increased selectivity to H-2 to 89% from methanol, 92% from ethylene glycol, and 79% from glycerol. Selectivity to minor products such as acetaldehyde, ethylene, and methane was < 2% at optimum conditions for all experiments. The results are interpreted as occurring primarily through surface reactions initiated by adsorption on metals through hydroxyl oxygen lone pairs to form surface alkoxides, which decompose almost exclusively to H-2 and Cl carbon compounds. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.