Effects of spatially restricted Ni nanocrystals within ordered mesopores on the production of syngas

Ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) materials such as SBA-15, MSU-H, KIT-6, and MSU-F were utilized as catalyst supports for the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) to produce syngas and hydrogen. The 2-D hexagonal' ordered mesoporous structure was found to play a crucial role in evenly distributing Ni nanocrystals during the preparation. The OMS supports also helped maintain the position and size of the Ni nanocrystals even after partial oxidation at elevated temperatures. Various characterization techniques were utilized to assess the catalytic performance as well as to investigate the deactivation phenomena. The 2-D hexagonal and 3-D bicontinuous OMS-supported catalysts were found to have great resistance against carbon deposition. In addition, the 2-D hexagonal mesostructured catalysts showed greater resistance against sintering than other OMS-supported and the conventional refractory material-supported catalysts. Under oxygen deficient conditions in terms of stoichiometry, the OMS-supported Ni catalysts were shown to be less deactivated and more resistant against coke formation compared with Ni catalysts with conventional refractory materials. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.