Bimetallic Cu-Ni Catalysts Derived from Phyllosilicates for Synergistically Catalyzing CO₂ and CH₄ Dry Reforming

Methane dry reforming reaction offers an attractive route to simultaneously convert two kinds of greenhouse gases into clean fuels and highly valuable chemicals. Nevertheless, the inactivation of nickel-based catalysts due to sintering and coking in dry reforming has severely limited its industrial application. In this study, we proposed a step-by-step strategy to prepare a series of bimetallic xCu-Ni/SiO₂ catalysts derived from phyllosilicate precursors. The optimized catalyst shows exceptional performance, with no deactivation during the 50 hour stability test, and the CH₄ and CO₂ conversion were 88.8% and 94.0%, respectively. This was attributed to the synergistic catalysis of Cu-Ni alloy, which effectively inhibits coke formation. Additionally, the distribution of copper species between nickel species inhibited the mobility and enlargement of nickel particles and thus enhanced the resistance to sintering. The preparation strategy offers valuable insights for designing and preparing highly efficient and stable bimetallic catalysts under high-temperature conditions.