Highly nanodispersed Gd-doped Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst for enhanced carbon-resistant dry reforming of methane

Gd-promoted mesoporous Ni/ZSM-5 (GdNi/ZSM-5) catalysts was prepared and evaluated in the dry reforming of methane. Addition of Gd forms GdNi5 alloy on the ZSM-5 support; the particle size of GdNi5 species supported on mesoporous ZSM-5 was found to be in the range of 2-10 nm. The addition of Gd enables superior mass transfer of reactants and products while preventing the agglomeration of the Ni nanoparticles. The presence of Gd supplies the oxygen atom to neighbouring Ni site, which oxidize the accumulated coke on Ni sites. Gd promoted Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst can work till 100 h without any deactivation. Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst (without promoter) shows severe deactivation due to the sintering of Ni nanoparticles during reforming reaction. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.