Unique catalysis of Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst in CO2 methanation: cooperative effect between Ni nanoparticles and a basic support

Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst (Ni-Al2O3-HT) exhibited a narrow Ni particle-size distribution with an average particle size of 4.0 nm. Methanation of CO2 over this catalyst initiated at 225 °C and reached 82.5% CO2 conversion with 99.5% CH4 selectivity at 350 °C, which was much better than its impregnated counterpart. Characterizations by means of CO2 microcalorimetry and 27Al NMR indicated that large amount of strong basic sites existed on Ni-Al2O3-HT, originated from the formation of Ni-O-Al structure. The existence of strong basic sites facilitated the activation of CO2 and consequently promoted the activity. The combination of highly dispersed Ni with strong basic support led to its unique and high efficiency for this reaction.

Graphical AbstractNi-Al2O3-HT catalyst derived from Ni-Al hydrotalcite exhibited high efficiency for CO2 methanation. This desired performance was attributed to the cooperation of highly dispersed Ni and strong basic sites on the support.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide