Ni nanoparticles immobilized Ce-modified mesoporous silica via a novel sublimation-deposition strategy for catalytic reforming of methane with carbon dioxide

•Ni nanoparticles immobilized Ce-modified mesoporous silica was obtained via a sublimation-deposition strategy.•Ni nanoparticles are assembled in the mesoporous silica host with a homogenous distribution.•The catalysts exhibit stable and near equilibrium conversion for CH4 and CO2 with negligible carbon deposition.•The confinement effect and the high dispersion of Ni nanoparticles enhances the coking- and sintering-resistance.•The addition of ceria further improves the coke resistance.

A kind of Ni nanoparticles (NPs) immobilized Ce-modified mesoporous silica was synthesized via a novel sublimation-deposition strategy and evaluated in catalytic reforming of methane with carbon dioxide. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized systematically to elucidate their morphological structure and surface properties. Small Ni NPs ranging from 2.1 nm to 4.3 nm have been successfully assembled in the mesoporous silica with a homogenous distribution. As compared with conventional Ni-impregnated catalysts, the catalysts exhibit more stable and near equilibrium conversion for CH4 and CO2 for 20 h at 750 °C with negligible carbon deposition. The confinement effect deriving from the mesoporous channels of silica support, as well as the high dispersion and reducibility of Ni NPs due to strong Ni–SiO2 interaction contribute to the enhanced coking- and sintering-resistance. Furthermore, the addition of ceria further improves the coke resistance, leading to the consistent catalytic performance of the catalysts in dry reforming of methane. We believe that the successful application of sublimation-deposition strategy can also play a role in the design of robust catalysts with excellent catalytic activity and durability for many other coking- and sintering-resistant reactions.

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