Promoting effect of glucose and β-cyclodextrin on Ni dispersion of Ni/MCM-41 catalysts for carbon dioxide reforming of methane to syngas

• As promoters, glucose and β-cyclodextrin could improve the dispersion of Ni species on MCM-41.
• Complexes could be formed between glucose (or β-cyclodextrin) and Ni(NO3)2, which benefited Ni dispersion.
• Ni/MCM-41-Glu and Ni/MCM-41-βCD exhibited better performance than Ni/MCM-41 in CO2 reforming of methane to syngas.

Mesoporous silica MCM-41 supported Ni-based catalysts were prepared by glucose (Glu) and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) modified impregnation method, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts (Ni/MCM-41-βCD and Ni/MCM-41-Glu) were characterized with BET, XRD, H2-TPR and TEM techniques, and their catalytic performance in CO2 reforming of methane to syngas was evaluated. The results revealed that the prepared catalysts remained the ordered mesoporous structures of MCM-41, and no obvious NiO particles could be viewed on catalysts prepared with β-cyclodextrin or glucose modified method. In contrast, on the catalyst prepared with the conventional impregnation method (Ni/MCM-41), large NiO particles could be observed. In the reaction of CO2 reforming of methane to syngas, compared with Ni/MCM-41, Ni/MCM-41-βCD and Ni/MCM-41-Glu exhibited higher catalytic activities and better catalytic stabilities.

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