CO2 Reforming with Ethanol for Syngas Production over SiO2-M@CeO2 Catalysts (M: Cu,Ni): Impact of Active Metal

It is of great significance to design the high-performance catalysts with good anti-sintering and coke-resistance properties which can efficiently convert undesirable greenhouse gas CO2 with bio-ethanol into high value-added syngas. To be addressed this issue, a series of SiO2-M@CeO2 (M: Cu, Ni) catalysts with typical core@shell structure were prepared via a strong electrostatic adsorption technique. Interestingly, Ni-based catalyst exhibited the higher activity towards ethanol dry reforming at the relatively low temperature. Meanwhile, SiO2-Ni@CeO2 catalyst presented good stability after a 50 h tests while a serious deactivation occurred for SiO2-Cu@CeO2 within 20 h reaction due to heavy carbon deposition and reactor blockage. Herein, the higher catalytic performance of SiO2-Ni@CeO(2 )catalyst compared to SiO2-Cu@CeO2 sample was attributed to the combination effect of its mesoporous structure, higher Ni dispersion as well as stronger Ni-Ce interaction as depicted by BET, TEM, XPS, H-2-TPR and XRD findings. This work might provide meaningful information to other reforming processes involving coke formation and active metal sintering problems.

Automated summary

Designing high-performance catalysts is of great significance for the conversion of CO2 and bio-ethanol into high value-added syngas. In this study, a Ni-based catalyst with a core@shell structure was found to exhibit higher activity and better stability compared to a Cu-based catalyst. This work provides valuable information for addressing coke formation and metal sintering issues in reforming processes.