Atomically dispersed MoNi alloy catalyst for partial oxidation of methane

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Catalytic partial oxidation of methane (POM) is crucial for syngas production.
• Over-oxidation and catalyst deactivation are significant challenges in POM.
• Modifying metal surfaces for controlled C-H activation and O* adsorption is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve high catalytic performance in POM by regulating oxygen occupation.
• To investigate the role of atomically dispersed (AD) MoNi alloy in methane conversion.
• To understand the mechanism behind enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of atomically dispersed MoNi alloy.
• Ex-situ and in-situ spectroscopic and catalytic performance testing.
• Kinetic analysis and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

• AD MoNi alloy demonstrated over 95% CH4 conversion and 97% syngas selectivity at 800°C.
• Mo-Ni dual sites in the alloy mitigate O2 poisoning on Ni sites.
• CH4 activation for partial oxidation is maintained with a combustion reforming reaction (CRR) mechanism.

Conclusions:

• Regulating oxygen occupation in AD MoNi alloy is effective for high-performance POM.
• Atomically dispersed alloys offer a promising strategy for tunable O* adsorption and efficient methane conversion.
• The study highlights the potential of designed alloys for advanced syngas synthesis.