One-step synthesis of metallic Ni–C/Al2O3 directly applied for CO2 reforming of CH4

Abstract

In this work, the vacuum co-impregnation of glucose and nickel precursor followed by the carbonization in an inert gas was developed as a new method for the preparation of the directly reduced Ni-based catalysts (Ni–C/Al2O3), which can be directly applied for CO2 reforming of CH4 (CRM) without any reduction. The materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, and N2 adsorption-desorption at low temperature. The results showed that H2 and CH4 derived from the decomposition of the glucose acted as the reducing agents for synthesizing metallic Ni from Ni precursors, and the reduction content of nickel was strongly dependent on the amount the glucose. The introduction of carbon derived from decomposition of glucose decreased the interaction between Ni and Al2O3 and then resulting in bigger Ni particle. Under the same CRM reaction conditions, the as-prepared Ni-0.35C/Al2O3 catalyst without further reduction showed highest catalytic activity and stability. The use of the directly reduced Ni-based catalyst without further high-temperature reduction is promising for the development of a more efficient CRM process.