Structural effect of Ni/TiO₂ on CO methanation: improved activity and enhanced stability

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon monoxide (CO) methanation is crucial for synthetic natural gas, CO removal, and fuel cells.
• Nickel (Ni) catalysts are widely used but suffer from deactivation via sintering and carbon deposition.
• Improving Ni catalyst activity and stability is essential for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural effects of Ni/TiO2 catalysts on CO methanation.
• To prepare Ni/TiO2 catalysts using plasma decomposition for enhanced performance.
• To compare plasma-decomposed catalysts with thermally decomposed ones.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of Ni/TiO2 catalysts via plasma decomposition of a nickel precursor at low temperatures (around 150 °C).
• Thermal decomposition of Ni/TiO2 catalysts as a comparative method.
• Catalyst characterization to analyze Ni particle size, dispersion, and coke resistance.

Main Results:

• Plasma-decomposed Ni/TiO2 catalysts exhibited significantly improved activity and stability compared to thermally decomposed catalysts.
• The plasma decomposition method resulted in smaller Ni particle sizes and higher Ni dispersion.
• Enhanced coke resistance and anti-sintering properties were observed in the plasma-decomposed catalysts.

Conclusions:

• Plasma decomposition is an effective method for preparing highly active and stable Ni/TiO2 catalysts for CO methanation.
• Smaller Ni particle size and higher dispersion contribute to improved catalyst performance and durability.
• The study suggests that catalysts effective for CO methanation are also effective for CO2 methanation via the same pathway.