Synthesis of mesoporous Ni-La2O3/SiO2 by ploy(ethylene glycol)-assisted sol-gel route as highly efficient catalysts for dry reforming of methane with a H2/CO ratio of unity

Mesoporous silica-supported Ni-La oxides with homogeneously-dispersed NiO nanoparticles were first synthesized via one-pot sol-gel route of tetraethoxysilane, metal nitrates, and poly(ethylene glycol). Upon reduction with H-2, the NiO nanoparticles were reduced to in situ generate metallic Ni particles distributed in the matrices. The obtained Ni-La2O3/SiO2 catalysts exhibited high activity and excellent stability for DRM with an almost 100% H-2 selectivity or a H-2/CO molar ratio of unity. The presence of La significantly inhibited the reverse water gas shift reaction, resulting in a H-2/CO ratio close to unity. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.