Tailored Support Materials for Controlled Ni Deposition Towards Highly Active and Stable Catalyst for Dry Methane Reforming

It is highly desired to develop an active and stable catalyst for dry methane reforming as the reaction valorizes CH4 and CO2. To reach that, ZrO2 and TiO2 were chosen as material supports for the deposition of Ni nanoparticles. Both oxides will be investigated in several forms - as a pure crystalline oxide, mesoporous form, and as highly dispersed oxides on silica materials. This material evolution will modify the structure and surface properties such as surface charge, redox properties, or the number of oxygen vacancies desired for the activation of feedstock molecules. After Ni deposition, the Ni/support interaction will be understood in the context of activity and stability in dry methane reforming. The proposal goes on the molecular level of interactions investigated using in situ and operando techniques, which help to describe structural dynamics and the final synthesis-structure-activity-stability relationship.