Ni stabilised on inorganic complex structures: superior catalysts for chemical CO2 recycling via dry reforming of methane

Abstract

CO 2 utilisation is becoming an appealing topic in catalysis science due to the urgent need to deal with greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Herein, the dry reforming of methane (DRM) represents a viable route to convert CO 2 and CH 4 (two of the major GHG) into syngas, a highly valuable intermediate in chemical synthesis. Nickelbased catalysts are economically viable materials for this reaction, however they show inevitable signs of deactivation. In this work stabilisation of Ni in a pyrochlore-perovskite structure is reported as a viable method to prevent fast deactivation. Substitution of Zirconium by Ni at various loadings in the lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore La 2 Zr 2 O 7 is investigated in terms of reactant conversions under various reaction conditions (temperature and space velocity). XRD analysis of the calcined and reduced catalysts showed the formation of crystalline phases corresponding to the pyrochlore structure La 2 Zr 2-x Ni x O 7 - and an additional La 2 NiZrO 6 perovskite phase at high Ni loadings. Carbon formation is limited using this formulation strategy and, as a consequence, our best catalyst shows excellent activity for DRM at temperatures as low as 600 C and displays great stability over 350 h of continuous operation. Exsolution of Ni from the oxide structure, leading to small and well dispersed Ni clusters, could explain the enhanced performance.