Coke-resistant Ni@SiO2 catalyst for dry reforming of methane

Nanostructured Ni@SiO2 core-shell catalyst is prepared from nickel oxide nanoparticles by a facile method. Calcination of as-synthesized core-shell nanoparticles creates a micro/meso-porous structure in the amorphous silica shell. The catalytic performance of core-shell catalyst toward dry reforming of methane was first evaluated in a thermogravimeter coupled with a mass spectrometer. Coking is negligible in a reforming period of 40 h on stream at 850 degrees C, while more than 0.32 g(coke) g(cat)(-1) is produced on a commercial Ni-based reforming catalyst in 6.4 h at the same reforming condition. Dry reforming was also performed in a continuous flow, fixed-bed reactor at 750 degrees C. Characterization of spent catalyst further confirms that Ni@SiO2 catalyst has high coke-resistance for dry reforming. The amount of coke deposited on the core-shell catalyst in 24.5 h is 0.012 g(coke) g(cat)(-1). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.