Preparation of biomass-derived porous carbon supported Ni nanoparticles for CO2 reforming of CH4

Abstract

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) can not only convert and utilize both CH₄ and CO₂ greenhouse gases, but also produce an ideal chemical feedstock (syngas). Nevertheless, a significant challenge is the development of a low cost as well as highly active and stable catalyst for this transformation process. Herein, we report a Ni/bio-char catalyst integrating the advantages of biomass-derived carbon supports and non-noble metals using a simple impregnation method. The bio-char supports are derived from waste walnut shells, which possess a well-developed porous structure, abundant functional groups, and an appreciable amount of alkaline earth metals, such as Ca and Mg. Compared to the Ni/CC catalyst (Ni supported on coal-derived coke), the as-prepared 10Ni/bio-char catalyst exhibits superior activity and significantly enhanced stability, achieving 90.7% CH₄ conversion and 97.6% CO₂ conversion at 800 °C. Furthermore, a simple reaction mechanism for DRM over the Ni/bio-char catalyst was proposed based on experimental results and literature studies.