Catalytic performance of N-doped activated carbon supported cobalt catalyst for carbon dioxide reforming of methane to synthesis gas

Abstract

Abstract Activated carbon (AC) was treated with melamine to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon materials (AC-N), which used as support to prepare Co supported catalysts for CH4–CO2 reforming (DRM) reaction and its catalytic performance was investigated. The modified (Co/AC-N) and unmodified (Co/AC) catalyst were characterized by BET, H2-TPR, XRD, TEM, XPS, CO2-TPD and FTIR. It was found that the modified catalyst not only showed excellent stability, but also had better catalytic activity than the unmodified catalyst. Although the physical structure of modified catalysts is almost same with the unmodified catalysts, nitrogen and some oxygen functional groups such as pyridine nitrogen, pyrrole nitrogen, hydroxyl and oxygen incarbonyl groups were generated on the AC surface during the amination treatment. The generated surface nitrogen and oxygen functional groups affect not only influence the dispersion of active metals but affect the valence distributions of cobalt. Compared with the untreated catalyst, small active particle size with a narrow size distribution formed on the surface of N-doped catalyst. Moreover, the modified catalyst also provides more basic sites for the reforming reaction to accelerate the adsorption and dissociation of CO2 on the active site of the catalyst.