Highly Dispersed Nickel-Tuned Silica Lanthana Catalyst: Interplay of Morphology and Textural Properties for Hydrogen-rich Syngas through the Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane

Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are major contributors to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming. Consequently, it is crucial to convert and utilize these gases effectively to mitigate their impact on the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (dry) reforming of methane (DRM) offers an efficient solution for converting CH4 and CO2 into syngas (H2/CO). In this study, we compare the effectiveness of a robust catalytic system, including a fibrous silica lanthana-supported nickel (NSLF-10) catalyst, to a silica lanthana-supported nickel composite (NSL-C) developed using commercial lanthana and silica. Our investigation focuses on their respective performances in the production of hydrogen-rich syngas through DRM. The NSLF-10 catalyst exhibited improved physicochemical properties such as uniformly dispersed nickel, stronger metal-support interaction, small nickel particle size, and increased surface area, which significantly enhanced the catalytic performance of DRM. Notably, the NSLF-10 catalyst achieved a high conversion of CH4 and CO2 at 85% and 83%, respectively, with an elevated H2/CO ratio compared to the NSL-C catalyst, which has a conversion of CH4 and CO2 at 72% and 64%, respectively. The unique properties of the NSLF-10 catalyst provide a high synergistic effect between the nickel active sites and SLF support, leading to a high conversion of CH4 and CO2 with no signs of catalytic deactivation.