Highly nanodispersed Gd-doped Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst for enhanced carbon-resistant dry reforming of methane

Hydrogen Production from Gadolinium-Promoted Yttrium-Zirconium-Supported Ni Catalysts through Dry Methane Reforming

Hydrogen production from dry reforming of methane (DRM) not only concerns with green energy but also involves the consumption of two greenhouse gases CH₄ and CO₂. The lattice oxygen endowing capacity, thermostability, and efficient anchoring of Ni has brought the attention of the DRM community over the yttria-zirconia-supported Ni system (Ni/Y + Zr). Herein, Gd-promoted Ni/Y + Zr is characterized and investigated for hydrogen production through DRM. The H₂-TPR → CO₂-TPD → H₂-TPR cyclic experiment indicates that most of the catalytic active site (Ni) remains present during the DRM reaction over all catalyst systems. Upon Y addition, the tetragonal zirconia-yttrium oxide phase stabilizes the support. Gadolinium promotional addition up to 4 wt % modifies the surface by formation of the cubic zirconium gadolinium oxide phase, limits the size of NiO, and makes reducible NiO moderately interacted species available over the catalyst surface and resists coke deposition. The 5Ni4Gd/Y + Zr catalyst shows about ∼80% yield of hydrogen constantly up to 24 h at 800 °C.

Rare-Earth Doping in Nanostructured Inorganic Materials

Impurity doping is a promising method to impart new properties to various materials. Due to their unique optical, magnetic, and electrical properties, rare-earth ions have been extensively explored as active dopants in inorganic crystal lattices since the 18th century. Rare-earth doping can alter the crystallographic phase, morphology, and size, leading to tunable optical responses of doped nanomaterials. Moreover, rare-earth doping can control the ultimate electronic and catalytic performance of doped nanomaterials in a tunable and scalable manner, enabling significant improvements in energy harvesting and conversion. A better understanding of the critical role of rare-earth doping is a prerequisite for the development of an extensive repertoire of functional nanomaterials for practical applications. In this review, we highlight recent advances in rare-earth doping in inorganic nanomaterials and the associated applications in many fields. This review covers the key criteria for rare-earth doping, including basic electronic structures, lattice environments, and doping strategies, as well as fundamental design principles that enhance the electrical, optical, catalytic, and magnetic properties of the material. We also discuss future research directions and challenges in controlling rare-earth doping for new applications.

Relationship Between the Pore Structure of Mesoporous Silica Supports and the Activity of Nickel Nanocatalysts in the CO2 Reforming of Methane

The question remains over the role of the pore structure of the support material on the catalytic behaviour of Ni catalysts during the CO2/dry reforming of methane (DRM). For this reason, a series of mesoporous materials with different pore structures, namely MCM-41, KIT-6, tri-modal porous silica (TMS), SBA-15 and mesostructured cellular foams (MCFs) were synthesised via hydrothermal synthesis methods and further impregnated with 15 wt.% NiO (11.8 wt.% Ni). It was observed that synthesised TMS is a promising catalyst support for DRM as Ni/TMS gave the highest activity and stability among these materials as well as the Ni catalysts supported on classic ordered mesoporous silicates support reported in the literature at the relatively low temperature (700 °C). On the other hand, Ni supported on CMC-41 exhibited the lowest activity among them. To understand the reason for this difference, the physicochemical properties of these materials were characterised in detail. The results show that the thickness of the silica wall and the pore size of the support material play a critical role in the catalytic activity of Ni catalysts in the CO2 reforming of methane.

Highly selective transfer hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds using Cu-based nanocatalysts

Simultaneous dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone and hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds to corresponding α,β-unsaturated alcohols was carried out in a single pot reaction without addition of any external hydrogen donor.