Enhanced selectivity of the CO₂ reverse water-gas reaction over a Ni₂P/CeO₂ catalyst

Ni catalysts tend to easily undergo methanation and metal sintering at high temperatures during the CO₂ hydrogenation reaction. Herein, Ni₂P, a typical kind of transition metal phosphide, had been demonstrated to be efficient for use in the reverse water gas (RWGS) reaction. Under weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) values of 150 000 and 300 000 mL g^-1 h^-1, the Ni₂P/CeO₂ catalyst presented a high CO selectivity, better than that of the conventional Ni/CeO₂ catalyst. The activity was also well maintained in a 20 h stability test. Detailed physicochemical characterization proved that the moderate adsorption strength of CO₂, as well as more strong adsorption active sites for H₂ on the Ni₂P/CeO₂ surface, prevented the CO₂ from further hydrogenating to CH₄, which accounted for the remarkable CO selectivity and stability of the CO₂ RWGS reaction.