Effect of Ni loadings on the catalytic properties of Ni/MgO(111) catalyst for the reforming of methane with carbon dioxide

The catalytic properties of MgO(111) nanosheet-supported Ni were investigated for the reforming of methane with carbon dioxide with the emphasis on the effect of nickel loadings. The catalytic activity and stability increased with increasing Ni loadings from 2% to 10%, while a further increase in the Ni loading from 10% to 20% led to a negative result. The TEM, XRD, H2-TPD, TG and Raman characterization results show that the deactivation behavior of Ni/MgO(111) depends on the amount of Ni, while the Ni particle size increased with increasing Ni loadings. The deactivation of the sample with 2% of Ni was probably caused by the Ni oxidation, whereas that of the catalyst with higher content of Ni was due to the deposition of carbonaceous materials.