Defect-Engineered Ni@Graphitic Carbon Catalyst With Adaptive Coordination for Energy-Efficient Plasma-Assisted Dry...

Plasma-assisted dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a promising low-temperature strategy for syngas production. However, the dynamic and non-equilibrium nature of the plasma environment presents considerable challenges for catalyst design. Herein, we report a Ni@graphitic carbon catalyst featuring a tailored pore-surface architecture specifically engineered for plasma-catalytic conditions. Under ambient temperature and pressure and at a low input power of 40 W, the catalyst achieves remarkable CO and H₂ production rates of 442.56 and 294.4 mmol h^-1 g^-1, respectively. The catalyst also maintains stable catalytic performance and structural stability over 100 h of continuous operation, with superior energy efficiency and productivity comparable to state-of-the-art catalysts. Combined theoretical and experimental studies reveal that the unique mesoporous architecture, together with the synergistic coexistence of Ni-C₄ and Ni-C/O hetero-coordination, significantly enhances plasma-catalytic performance. This work demonstrates that designing plasma-compatible catalysts with adaptive coordination chemistry provides a powerful route to high-performance and low-energy C₁ (one-carbon) conversion, offering new opportunities for carbon-neutral syngas production and electrified chemical manufacturing.