Boron-promoted Ni/MgO catalysts for enhanced activity and coke suppression during dry reforming of methane

The dry reforming of methane (DRM) provides an attractive solution for the utilization of CH4 and CO2 and its performance highly depends on the catalyst. In this study, DRM to syngas was studied using a series of Ni/MgO catalysts modified by B2O3 (0.1-2.0 wt%). The results demonstrated that introducing only 0.25 wt% B2O3 to 4Ni/MgO catalyst significantly improved its activity, stability, and carbon resistance. After 40 h time on stream (TOS), the activity of 4Ni0.25B/MgO catalyst almost unchanged and was approximately 20% higher than that of the unmodified 4Ni/MgO catalyst. The 4Ni0.25B/MgO catalyst also showed the least carbon deposits (0.3 wt%) among all samples. The characterization tests suggest that B2O3 substantially enhanced the Ni reducibility during DRM without weakening the Ni-MgO interaction, thereby improving the activity without sacrificing the dispersion and stability of the Ni nanoparticles (NPs). Intermetallic nickel boride was formed when B2O3 interacted with metallic Ni, which suppressed the formation of filamentous and graphitic carbon. In addition, excess B2O3 has a slight influence on the formation of amorphous carbon.

Automated summary

In this study, the dry reforming of methane was investigated using catalysts modified by different amounts of B2O3. The results showed that the introduction of a small amount of B2O3 significantly improved the catalyst's activity, stability, and carbon resistance.