Cheaper Catalyst Converts CO2 Into Methane More Efficiently Than Expected
A new nickel-based catalyst converts carbon dioxide into usable methane with 88% efficiency at moderate temperatures, outperforming heavier-loaded versions. The finding could lower costs for carbon capture technologies and industrial methane production, opening pathways for companies to monetize CO2 rather than simply storing it.
Originaltitel: Silicalite-Supported Ni Catalysts for Efficient CO<sub>2</sub> Conversion into CH<sub>4</sub>
<p>The catalytic conversion of CO<sub>2</sub> into methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) offers a sustainable solution to the worsening global warming scenario, especially for controlling CO<sub>2</sub> levels. This study reports silicalite-1 supported Ni catalysts with different loadings for CO<sub>2</sub> conversion to CH<sub>4</sub>, prepared via wet impregnation. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed an increase in crystallite size at higher Ni loadings, which was further supported by N<sub>2</sub> sorption, where the specific surface area and microporosity of the catalysts were decreased. There was a slight shift in the reducibility of the catalysts, potentially indicating the impact of loading on dispersion and spatial distribution. The catalyst performance was evaluated over a range of temperatures at 5 bar and a GHSV of 20,000 mL gcat<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>. Surprisingly, the Ni(5)@Silicalite-1 exhibited higher CO<sub>2</sub> conversion efficiency across the range of temperatures compared to Ni(10)@Silicalite-1. The NiO(5)@Silicalite-1 demonstrated a maximum CO<sub>2</sub> conversion of 88% at 450 °C, which was approximately 14% higher than that of the catalyst with a 10 wt.% loading. Notably, the CH<sub>4</sub> selectivity pattern was quite identical across the catalysts, underscoring that the reaction pathways were unaffected by the loadings. The higher performance of NiO(5)@Silicalite-1 could be ascribed to smaller NiO crystallites and improved textural properties.</p>