Enhancement of syngas production from dry reforming of methane over Co/Al2O3 catalyst: Insight into the promotional effects of europium and neodymium

The dry reforming of methane is a high potential solution to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions and mitigate the global warming effect. In this study, a series of 3M-10Co/Al2O3 (M = Eu, Nd) catalysts were pre-pared using the dry impregnation method. The introduction of these rare-earth metals was found to have positive effects on both cobalt dispersibility and reducibility. Moreover, due to the basic nature of Eu and Nd oxides, the carbon dioxide adsorption and activation were enhanced. During the reaction, the performances of promoted samples were superior to the pristine catalyst. The investigation of coke morphology revealed that much less amorphous carbon was found on 3Eu-10Co/Al2O3 and 3Nd-10Co/Al2O3. It was attributed to the highly reactive carbon dioxide over the promoted catalysts, leading to facilitating amorphous carbon gasification. The highest activity was credited to 3Nd-10Co/Al2O3 with approximately 77%, 87% of CH4 and CO2 conversions, respec-tively, at 973 K.

Automated summary

Dry reforming of methane is a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study found that the introduction of rare-earth metals improved the dispersion and reducibility of the catalyst, leading to enhanced carbon dioxide adsorption and activation. The modified catalyst showed superior performance and reduced the formation of amorphous carbon.