Catalytic performances of NiO–CeO2 for the reforming of methane with CO2 and O2

Ce1−xNixO2 oxides with x varying from 0.1 to 0.5 were prepared by precipitation and characterized by XRD, TPR and XPS techniques. Three kinds of Ni phases co-exist in Ce1−xNixO2 catalysts: (1) aggregated NiO on the support CeO2, (2) highly dispersed NiO with a strong interaction with CeO2 and (3) Ni atoms incorporated into the CeO2 lattice that forms the solid solution. For the reforming of methane with CO2 and O2, the Ce1−xNixO2 oxides prepared by precipitation are superior catalysts, which had a high catalytic activity and thermal stability, especially Ce0.8Ni0.2O2. The catalytic activity is affected by the Ni dispersion on the surface of the catalyst. The Ni–CeO2 solid solution formed by the Ni species incorporated into CeO2 promotes the capability of coking resistance.