Optimization of CO2 methanation reaction over M*/Mn/Cu–Al2O3 (M*: Pd, Rh and Ru) catalysts

Sr Promoted Ni/W-Zr Catalysts for Highly Efficient CO2 Methanation: Unveiling the Role of Surface Basicity

This study explores the employment of CO2 methanation for carbon dioxide utilization and global warming mitigation. For the first time, in this work, we combine the interesting properties of the WO3-ZrO2 support and the benefits of Sr to improve the performance of Ni-based catalysts in this reaction. Sr loading on 5Ni/W-Zr samples is increased to 3 wt %, resulting in improved surface basicity through strong basic site formation. After 300 min, the 5Ni + 3Sr/W-Zr catalyst exhibits high activity and stability, achieving 90% CO2 conversion and 82% CH4 yield compared to 62 and 57% on 5Ni/W-Zr. Limited sintering and absence of carbon deposits are confirmed by temperature-programmed oxidation, XRD, Raman, and TEM analyses at 350 °C for 300 min. Sr promotion creates additional CO2 adsorption and conversion sites, enhancing the catalytic performance.

Current Developments in Catalytic Methanation of Carbon Dioxide—A Review

The utilization of fossil fuel has increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations drastically over the last few decades. This leads to global warming and climate change, increasing the occurrence of more severe weather around the world. One promising solution to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions is methanation. Many researchers and industries are interested in CO2 methanation as a power-to-gas technology and carbon capture and storage (CCS) system. Producing an energy carrier, methane (CH4), via CO2 methanation and water electrolysis is an exceptionally effective method of capturing energy generated by renewables. To enhance methanation efficiency, numerous researches have been conducted to develop catalysts with high activity, CH4 selectivity, and stability against the reaction heat. Therefore, in this mini-review, the characteristics and recent advances of metal-based catalysts in methanation of CO2 is discussed.

Elucidating the Role of the Metal Catalyst and Oxide Support in the Ru/CeO2-Catalyzed CO2 Methanation Mechanism

This study addresses the yet unresolved CO2 methanation mechanism on a Ru/CeO2 catalyst by means of near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) complemented with periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations. NAP-XPS results show that the switch from H2 to CO2 + H2 mixture oxidizes both the Ru and CeO2 phases at low temperatures, which is explained by the CO2 adsorption modes assessed by means of DFT on each representative surface. CO2 adsorption on Ru is dissociative and moderately endergonic, leading to polybonded Ru-carbonyl groups whose hydrogenation is the rate-determining step in the overall process. Unlike on Ru metal, CO2 can be strongly adsorbed as carbonates on ceria surface oxygen sites or on the reduced ceria at oxygen vacancies as carboxylates (CO2 -δ), resulting in the reoxidation of ceria. Carboxylates can then evolve as CO, which is released either via direct splitting at relatively low temperatures or through stable formate species at higher temperatures. DRIFTS confirm the great stability of formates, whose depletion relates with CO2 conversion in the reaction cell, while carbonates remain on the surface up to higher temperatures. CO generation on ceria serves as an additional reservoir of Ru-carbonyls, cooperating to the overall CO2 methanation process. Altogether, this study highlights the noninnocent role of the ceria support in the performance of Ru/CeO2 toward CO2 methanation.

Effect of the Addition of Alkaline Earth and Lanthanide Metals for the Modification of the Alumina Support in Ni and Ru Catalysts in CO2 Methanation

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are reaching alarming levels in the atmosphere, capture, recovery, and transformation of carbon dioxide emitted to methane is considered a potentially profitable process. This transformation, known as methanation, is a catalytic reaction that mainly uses catalysts based on noble metals such as Ru and, although with less efficiency, on transition metals such as Ni. In order to improve the efficiency of these conventional catalysts, the effect of adding alkaline earth metals (Ba, Ca, or Mg at 10 wt%) and lanthanides (La or Ce at 14 wt%) to nickel (13 wt%), ruthenium (1 wt%), or both-based catalysts has been studied at temperatures between 498 and 773 K and 10 bar pressure. The deactivation resistance in presence of H2S was also monitored. The incorporation of La into the catalyst produces interactions between active metal Ni, Ru, or Ru-Ni and the alumina support, as determined by the characterization. This fact results in an improvement in the catalytic activity of the 13Ni/Al2O3 catalyst, which achieves a methane yield of 82% at 680 K for 13Ni/14La-Al2O3, in addition to an increase in H2S deactivation resistance. Furthermore, 89% was achieved for 1Ru-13Ni/14La-Al2O3 at 651 K, but it showed to be more vulnerable to H2S presence.

Promising Catalytic Systems for CO2 Hydrogenation into CH4: A Review of Recent Studies

The increasing utilization of renewable sources for electricity production turns CO2 methanation into a key process in the future energy context, as this reaction allows storing the temporary renewable electricity surplus in the natural gas network (Power-to-Gas). This kind of chemical reaction requires the use of a catalyst and thus it has gained the attention of many researchers thriving to achieve active, selective and stable materials in a remarkable number of studies. The existing papers published in literature in the past few years about CO2 methanation tackled the catalysts composition and their related performances and mechanisms, which served as a basis for researchers to further extend their in-depth investigations in the reported systems. In summary, the focus was mainly in the enhancement of the synthesized materials that involved the active metal phase (i.e., boosting its dispersion), the different types of solid supports, and the frequent addition of a second metal oxide (usually behaving as a promoter). The current manuscript aims in recapping a huge number of trials and is divided based on the support nature: SiO2, Al2O3, CeO2, ZrO2, MgO, hydrotalcites, carbons and zeolites, and proposes the main properties to be kept for obtaining highly efficient carbon dioxide methanation catalysts.

Aqueous Miscible Organic LDH Derived Ni-Based Catalysts for Efficient CO2 Methanation

Converting CO2 to methane via catalytic routes is an effective way to control the CO2 content released in the atmosphere while producing value-added fuels and chemicals. In this study, the CO2 methanation performance of highly dispersed Ni-based catalysts derived from aqueous miscible organic layered double hydroxides (AMO-LDHs) was investigated. The activity of the catalyst was found to be largely influenced by the chemical composition of Ni metal precursor and loading. A Ni-based catalyst derived from AMO-Ni3Al1-CO3 LDH exhibited a maximum CO2 conversion of 87.9% and 100% CH4 selectivity ascribed to both the lamellar catalyst structure and the high Ni metal dispersion achieved. Moreover, due to the strong Ni metal–support interactions and abundant oxygen vacancy concentration developed, this catalyst also showed excellent resistance to carbon deposition and metal sintering. In particular, high stability was observed after 19 h in CO2/H2 reaction at 360 °C.

Recent Progresses in Constructing the Highly Efficient Ni Based Catalysts With Advanced Low-Temperature Activity Toward CO2 Methanation

With the development and prosperity of the global economy, the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) has become an increasing concern. Its greenhouse effect will cause serious environmental problems, such as the global warming and climate change. Therefore, the worldwide scientists have devoted great efforts to control CO2 emissions through various strategies, such as capture, resource utilization, sequestration, etc. Among these, the catalytic conversion of CO2 to methane is considered as one of the most efficient routes for resource utilization of CO2 owing to the mild reaction conditions and simple reaction device. Pioneer thermodynamic studies have revealed that low reaction temperature is beneficial to the high catalytic activity and CH4 selectivity. However, the low temperature will be adverse to the enhancement of the reaction rate due to kinetic barrier for the activation of CO2. Therefore, the invention of highly efficient catalysts with promising low temperature activities toward CO2 methanation reaction is the key solution. The Ni based catalysts have been widely investigated as the catalysts toward CO2 methanation due to their low cost and excellent catalytic performances. However, the Ni based catalysts usually perform poor low-temperature activities and stabilities. Therefore, the development of highly efficient Ni based catalysts with excellent low-temperature catalytic performances has become the research focus as well as challenge in this field. Therefore, we summarized the recent research progresses of constructing highly efficient Ni based catalysts toward CO2 methanation in this review. Specifically, the strategies on how to enhance the catalytic performances of the Ni based catalysts have been carefully reviewed, which include various influencing factors, such as catalytic supports, catalytic auxiliaries and dopants, the fabrication methods, reaction conditions, etc. Finally, the future development trend of the Ni based catalysts is also prospected, which will be helpful to the design and fabrication of the Ni catalysts with high efficiency toward CO2 methanation process.

Overview performance of lanthanide oxide catalysts in methanation reaction for natural gas production

A rapid growth in the development of power generation and transportation sectors would result in an increase in the carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere. As it will continue to play a vital role in meeting current and future needs, significant efforts have been made to address this problem. Over the past few years, extensive studies on the development of heterogeneous catalysts for CO₂ methanation have been investigated and reported in the literatures. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of methanation research studies over lanthanide oxide catalysts has been reviewed. The utilisation of lanthanide oxides as CO₂ methanation catalysts performed an outstanding result of CO₂ conversion and improvised the conversion of acidity from CO₂ gas to CH₄ gas. The innovations of catalysts towards the reaction were discussed in details including the influence of preparation methods, the structure-activity relationships as well as the mechanism with the purpose of outlining the pathways for future development of the methanation process.

Highly active Co–Al2O3-based catalysts for CO2 methanation with very low platinum promotion prepared by double flame spray pyrolysis

Alumina supported Co catalysts are often promoted with noble metals to improve their reducibility and provide a high number of metallic Co sites. A flame spray pyrolysis based approach for the preparation is described which allows a fine dispersion of Pt so that very low concentrations are necessary.