A Ni/CeO2–CDC-SiC Catalyst with Improved Coke Resistance in CO2 Reforming of Methane

A nanocomposite Ni/CeO2–CDC-SiC catalyst which consists of highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles contacting intimately with CeO2 nanoparticles on a nanoporous carbide-derived carbon (CDC) layer over SiC support has been successfully designed for carbon dioxide (CO2) reforming of methane. In comparison with the Ni/CDC-SiC catalyst, the ceria-promoted Ni/CDC-SiC catalyst possessed enhanced activity and improved stability. The catalysts were systematically characterized with N2 sorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry elemental mapping, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, temperature-programmed reduction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. It was found that, after introducing CeO2 promoter, the specific surface area was increased, and a smaller Ni particle size was obtained. The smaller Ni particle size led to an enhanced reforming activity. The presence of abundant Ni–CeO2 interfaces on the CeO2-promoted catalyst accelerated the carbon removal through the lattice oxygen species, which resulted in superior carbon resistance and thus an improved stability. The outcome of the present work is expected to shed meaningful insight into the design of nanocomposite catalysts with the aid of metal–oxide interfaces.