CO and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Methanation Over Ni/SiC and Ni/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Catalysts

Ni/SiC and Ni/SiO₂ catalysts prepared by both wet impregnation (WI) and deposition–precipitation (DP) methods were compared for CO and CO₂ methanation. The prepared catalysts were characterized using N₂ physisorption, temperature-programmed reduction with H₂ (H₂-TPR), H₂ chemisorption, pulsed CO₂ chemisorption, temperature-programmed desorption of CO₂ (CO₂-TPD), transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. H₂-TPR analysis revealed that the catalysts prepared by DP exhibit stronger interaction between the nickel oxides and support than those prepared by WI. The former catalysts exhibit higher Ni dispersions than the latter. The catalytic activities for both reactions over Ni/SiC and Ni/SiO₂ catalysts prepared by WI increase on increasing the Ni content from 10 to 20 wt%. The Ni/SiC catalyst prepared by DP shows higher catalytic activity for CO and CO₂ methanation than that of the Ni/SiC catalyst prepared by WI. Furthermore, it exhibits the highest catalytic activity for CO methanation among the tested catalysts. The high Ni dispersion achieved by the DP method and the high thermal conductivity enabled by SiC are beneficial for both CO and CO₂ methanation.     

Influence of H4SiW12O40 loading on hydrocracking activity of non-sulfide Ni-H4SiW12O40/SiO2 catalysts

The effect of H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ loading on the catalytic performance of the reduced Ni-H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀/SiO₂ catalysts for hydrocracking of n-decane with or without the presence of thiophene and pyridine is studied. The catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, Raman, XPS, H₂-TPR, H₂-TPD, NH₃-TPD and FT-IR of pyridine adsorption. It was found that addition of H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ to the system increases the catalytic activity and the promoting effect is a function of the H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ loading. The best result was obtained on 5%Ni-50%H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀/SiO₂ catalyst which shows the highest activity for hydrocracking of n-decane and excellent tolerance to the sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the feedstock. The results showed that a suitable amount of H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ loading on the 5%Ni/SiO₂ catalyst increases the amount of both hydrogen adsorbed and Brønsted acid and Lewis acid sites on the catalyst. The high catalytic performance of the catalyst can be related to the nature of H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ and the proper balance between metal and acid functions.     

Characterization of aerogel Ni/Al2O3 catalysts and investigation on their stability for CH4-CO2 reforming in a fluidized bed

The CH₄-CO₂ reforming was investigated in a fluidized bed reactor using nano-sized aerogel Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts, which were prepared via a sol–gel method combined with a supercritical drying process. The catalysts were characterized with BET, XRD, H₂-TPR and H₂-TPD techniques. Compared with the impregnation catalyst, aerogel catalysts exhibited higher specific surface areas, lower bulk density, smaller Ni particle sizes, stronger metal-support interaction and higher Ni dispersion degrees. All tested aerogel catalysts showed better catalytic activities and stability than the impregnation catalyst. Their catalytic stability tested during 48 h reforming was dependent on their Ni loadings. Characterizations of spent catalysts indicated that only limited graphitic carbon formed on the aerogel catalyst, while massive graphitic carbon with filamentous morphology was observed for the impregnation catalyst, leading to significant catalytic activity degradation. An aerogel catalyst containing 10% Ni showed the best catalytic stability and the lowest rate of carbon deposition among the aerogel catalysts due to its small Ni particle size and strong metal-support interaction.     

Combination of CO2 reforming and partial oxidation of methane to produce syngas over Ni/SiO2 prepared with nickel citrate precursor

The reaction of combination of CO₂ reforming and partial oxidation of methane to produce syngas (CRPOM) was tested over Ni/SiO₂ catalysts which were prepared via incipient-wetness impregnation using precursors of nickel citrate and nickel nitrate. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD) and H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) techniques. It was shown that the nickel citrate precursor strengthened interaction between NiO and support to form nickel silicate like species which could be reduced to produce small crystallites of metallic nickel at high temperatures. The Ni/SiO₂ prepared with the nickel citrate precursor exhibited good catalytic performances for its highly dispersed metallic nickel derived from the nickel silicate species.     

Small Amounts of Rh-Promoted Ni Catalysts for Methane Reforming with CO2

Small amounts of Rh-promoted Ni/-Al₂O₃ catalysts possessed higher activity than pure Ni/-Al₂O₃, Rh-Al₂O₃ catalysts and exhibited excellent coke resistance ability in methane reforming with CO₂. XRD, H₂-TPR, CO₂-TPD and coking reaction (via CH₄ temperature-programmed decomposition) indicated that Rh improved the dispersion of Ni, retarded the sintering of Ni and increased the activation of CO₂ and CH₄ on the surface of catalyst.     

Effect of Al2O3/SiO2 ratio on iron-based catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

A systematic study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio on reduction, carburization and catalytic behavior of iron-based Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts promoted with potassium and copper. The catalysts were characterized by N₂ physical adsorption, CO₂ temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and Mössbauer effect spectroscopy (MES). CO₂-TPD indicated that Al₂O₃ binder has stronger acidity than SiO₂ binder and weakens the surface basicity of the catalysts. H₂-TPR profiles suggested that the lower Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio promotes the reduction of Fe₂O₃→Fe₃O₄. With further increasing Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio, the transformation of Fe₂O₃→Fe₃O₄ shifts to higher temperatures. The MES results showed that the increase of Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio leads to the relatively large crystallite size of α-Fe₂O₃ and inhibits carburization of the catalyst. During reaction tests in a fixed bed reactor it was found that a maximum in catalyst activity is noted at the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio of 5/20 (weight basis). The selectivity to olefins shows a rapid decrease and the formations of methane and light hydrocarbons are promoted with increasing Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio. The oxygenate selectivity in total products increases with increasing Al₂O₃/SiO₂ ratio.     

The modification of SiO2 by various organic groups and its influence on the properties of cobalt-based catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

SiO₂ was modified by various organic groups before the impregnation of cobalt precursor. These modified supports and the corresponding catalysts were characterized by BET, ²⁹Si CP MAS NMR, XRD, Raman, XPS and H₂-TPR. These characterizations clearly show the changes of morphology as well as reducibility of the catalysts. The organic modification of SiO₂ remarkably influences the reducibility and catalytic properties of Co catalysts. Co catalyst supported on (CH₃)₃-modified SiO₂ exhibits high activity and C₅⁺ hydrocarbon selectivity. However, COOH-, NH₂-, and NH₂(CH₂)₂NH-modified SiO₂ distinctly suppress the catalytic activity of Co catalysts.     

Effect of TiO2 loading on the activity of V/TiO2-Al2O3 in the catalytic oxidehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with carbon dioxide

TiO₂-Al₂O₃ mixed oxides with different compositions ranging from 40wt-% to 95wt-% of TiO₂ were prepared by sol-gel method and impregnated with different amounts of VO _x . Supports and catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), physisorption, temperature preprogrammed reduction (H₂-TPR), and ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). TiO₂ content in the support had obvious effect on the crystal structure, texture characteristic, acid property, and catalytic activity in dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene (EB) with carbon dioxide. The highest catalytic activity was acquired when the TiO₂ content was 50 wt-%.     

Preparation and characterization of NiO/MgO/Al2O3 supported CoPcS catalyst and its application to mercaptan oxidation

MgO/Al₂O₃ and NiO/MgO/Al₂O₃ solid bases were prepared by mixing method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO₂ temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) and surface area measurements. After supported sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPcS) the catalytic performance of these catalysts was evaluated in the mercaptan oxidation reaction. The effect of Mg/Al mole ratios on activity, crystal structure, basicity and stability in air was discussed. And the mechanism of the effect of NiO was identified. Results show that the base amount of MgO/Al₂O₃ increases with increasing Mg/Al mole ratio and catalyst with high Mg/Al mole ratio has a higher initial activity. NiO/MgO/Al₂O₃–CoPcS shows a higher initial activity and a much longer lifetime than MgO/Al₂O₃–CoPcS. When nickel oxide is doped into the MgO/Al₂O₃ support more crystal defects are generated, which increases the amount and types of basic sites.     

Sequential production of H2 and CO over supported Ni catalysts

Methane decomposition into H₂ and carbon nanofibers at 823 K and subsequent gasification of the carbon nanofibers with CO₂ into CO at 923 K were performed over supported Ni catalysts (Ni/SiO₂, Ni/TiO₂ and Ni/Al₂O₃). Supported Ni catalysts were deactivated for CH₄ decomposition with time on stream due to deposition of a large amount of carbon nanofibers. Subsequent contact of CO₂ with carbon nanofibers on the deactivated catalysts resulted in the formation of CO with a conversion of the carbons higher than 95%. In addition, gasification with CO₂ regenerated the activity of supported Ni catalysts for CH₄ decomposition, indicating that H₂ formation through CH₄ decomposition and CO formation through gasification with CO₂ could be carried out repeatedly. Conversions of carbon nanofibers into CO were kept higher than 95% in the repeated gasification over all the catalysts, while change in the catalytic activity for CH₄ decomposition with the repeated cycles depended on the kind of catalytic supports. Catalytic activity of Ni/SiO₂ for CH₄ decomposition was high at early cycles, however, the activity decreased gradually with the repeated cycles. On the other hand, Ni/TiO₂ and Ni/Al₂O₃ showed high activity for CH₄ decomposition and the activity was kept high during the repeated cycles. These changes of catalytic activities for CH₄ decomposition could be explained by changes in particle sizes of Ni metal, i.e. Ni metal particles in Ni/SiO₂ aggregated into ones larger than 150 nm with the repeated cycles, while the particle sizes of Ni metal in Ni/TiO₂ and Ni/Al₂O₃ remained at an effective range for CH₄ decomposition (60-100 nm).     

Highly active and coking resistant Ni/CeO2-ZrO2 catalyst for partial oxidation of methane

Nickel catalysts over the CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solution were successfully prepared by the co-precipitation method for partial oxidation of methane. The structures of the catalysts were systematically examined by N₂ adsorption/desorption, CO chemisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and H₂-TPR techniques. The catalytic performance and carbon deposition were investigated for partial oxidation of methane as well. The results showed that the Ni/CeO₂-ZrO₂ catalysts had a large BET area and fine Ni dispersion. By the co-precipitation method, Ni and CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solution had strong interaction confirmed by the H₂-TPR analysis. The Ni/CeO₂-ZrO₂ catalysts showed high activity and stability and the Ni/Ce_0.25Zr_0.75O₂ exhibited the best activity and coking resistance among these catalysts. The catalytic activities and coking resistant behaviors of catalysts were affected by the surface and structural properties of the catalysts.     

V-modified CuO–ZnO–ZrO2/HZSM-5 catalyst for efficient direct synthesis of DME from CO2 hydrogenation

A series of V-modified CuO–ZnO–ZrO₂/HZSM-5 catalysts for direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from CO₂ hydrogenation were prepared by an oxalate co-precipitation method. The catalysts were also characterized by XRD, BET, H₂-TPR, N₂O chemisorption, NH₃-TPD, and XPS techniques. The results show that the catalytic performances of the catalysts are strongly dependent on the content of V added in the preparation.     

Effect of precipitants during the preparation of Cu-ZnO-Al2O3/Zr-ferrierite catalyst on the DME synthesis from syngas

The synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from biomass-derived model synthesis gas has been investigated on Cu-ZnO-Al₂O₃/Zr-ferrierite bifunctional catalysts. The catalysts are prepared by co-precipitation–impregnation method using Na₂CO₃, K₂CO₃ and (NH₄)₂CO₃ as the precipitants. The catalytic activity tests reveal that the best yield of DME can be obtained on the catalyst precipitated by using (NH₄)₂CO₃. Detailed characterization studies conducted on the catalysts to measure their properties such as surface area, acidity by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), reducibility of Cu oxide by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and copper surface area and particle size measurements by N₂O titration method. Increasing the number of moderate acidic sites and facilitation of easily reducible copper species with small particle size are found to be the prime reasons for the superior functionality of the (NH₄)₂CO₃ precipitated catalyst. The usage of (NH₄)₂CO₃ also leaves no residual ions, whereas the presence of residual K⁺ and Na⁺ ions in the case of K₂CO₃ and Na₂CO₃ precipitated catalysts leads to lower activity and selectivity.     

Dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol on Cu–ZnO/SiO2 catalysts: The role of copper species

For the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol a series of Cu–ZnO/SiO₂ catalysts with various Cu to ZnO molar ratios was prepared using the impregnation method, with the loading of copper fixed at 9.5 at.%. The catalysts were characterized by XPS, H₂–N₂O titration, BET, H₂-TPR, NH₃-TPD and XRD techniques. The results indicate that the addition of ZnO can improve the dispersion of copper species on reduced Cu–ZnO/SiO₂ (CZS) catalysts. Cu⁰ and Cu⁺ species were found on the reduced CZS catalysts surface, and the amount of Cu⁺ increased with the content of ZnO increasing. The addition of ZnO increased the acidity of the CZS catalysts. However, only Cu⁰ species can be found on the reduced Cu/SiO₂ (CS) catalyst surface. According to the reaction results, we found that the selectivity to phenol was related to the amount of Cu⁺ species, the Cu⁺ species should be the active sites for the production of phenol, the Cu⁰ is responsible for cyclohexanol dehydrogenation to cyclohexanone.     

Liquid phase hydrogenation of maleic anhydride over nickel catalyst supported on ZrO2–SiO2 composite aerogels

The promotional effects of ZrO₂ on Ni/ZrO₂–SiO₂ catalysts were investigated by the comparison of Ni/SiO₂ and Ni/ZrO₂–SiO₂ activity in the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride (MA) to γ-butyrolactone (GBL), and by the measurements of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The presence of ZrO₂ led to an obvious increase of GBL yield. The promotion effect could be attributed to the possible presence of Zr⁴⁺ species on the catalyst surface owing to the higher ionicity of the Zr–O bonds, and to the proper interaction of Ni with the ZrO₂-SiO₂ support that is regulated by the presence of ZrO₂.     

NOx storage behavior and sulfur-resisting performance of the third-generation NSR catalysts Pt/K/TiO2–ZrO2

The NO_x storage and reduction (NSR) catalysts Pt/K/TiO₂–ZrO₂ were prepared by an impregnation method. The techniques of XRD, NH₃-TPD, CO₂-TPD, H₂-TPR and in situDRIFTS were employed to investigate their NO_x storage behavior and sulfur-resisting performance. It is revealed that the storage capacity and sulfur-resisting ability of these catalysts depend strongly on the calcination temperature of the support. The catalyst with theist support calcined at 500 °C, exhibits the largest specific surface area but the lowest storage capacity. With increasing calcination temperature, the NO_x storage capacity of the catalyst improves greatly, but the sulfur-resisting ability of the catalyst decreases. In situ DRIFTS results show that free nitrate species and bulk sulfates are the main storage and sulfation species, respectively, for all the catalysts studied. The CO₂-TPD results indicate that the decomposition performance of K₂CO₃ is largely determined by the surface property of the TiO₂–ZrO₂ support. The interaction between the surface hydroxyl of the support and K₂CO₃ promotes the decomposition of K₂CO₃ to form –OK groups bound to the support, leading to low NO_x storage capacity but high sulfur-resisting ability, while the interaction between the highly dispersed K₂CO₃ species and Lewis acid sites gives rise to high NO_x storage capacity but decreased sulfur-resisting ability. The optimal calcination temperature of TiO₂–ZrO₂ support is 650 °C.     

Direct conversion of cellulose into polyols or H2 over Pt/Na(H)-ZSM-5

The direct conversion of cellulose into polyols such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol was examined over Pt catalysts supported on H-ZSM-5 with different SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratios. The Pt dispersion, determined by CO chemisorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as the surface acid concentration measured by the temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), increased with decreasing SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratio for Pt/H-ZSM-5. The total yield of the polyols, i.e., sorbitol, manitol, ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, generally increased with increasing Pt dispersion in Pt/H-ZSM-5. The one-pot aqueous-phase reforming of cellulose into H₂ was also examined over the same catalysts. The Pt catalyst supported on H-ZSM-5 with a moderate SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratio and a large external surface area showed the highest H₂ production rate. The Pt dispersion, surface acidity, external surface area and surface hydrophilicity appear to affect the catalytic activity for this reaction.     

Enhancement of pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation over Pd-promoted Ni/SiO2-Al2O3 catalysts

Pyrolysis gasoline upgrading by hydrogenation and ring opening was investigated over highly loaded Ni catalysts supported on amorphous silica-alumina and incorporating promoters as Pd, seeking a higher aromatic reduction of this feedstock in order to meet stringent fuel regulations. The effect of Ni loading and Pd component on the activity of those systems was evaluated in a fixed bed reactor under the following operating conditions: T = 573 and 673 K, H₂:PyGas molar ratio = 10, P = 5.0 MPa, WHSV = 4 h⁻¹. The catalyst properties, measured by several characterization techniques (ICP-AES, XRD, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, TPR, H₂-TPD, CO chemisorption, XPS, FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and NH₃-TPD), were related to their catalytic activity and selectivity. Interestingly, the increase in Ni loading from 24.4 to 33.2 Ni wt.% has a negative effect on both hydrogenation and ring opening activities, as it causes a drop in the BET surface area and a decrease in metal-support interaction, with a negative bearing on catalyst stability. On the other hand, the addition of Pd has a positive effect for hydrogenation, linked with the higher electronegativity of Pd⁰ species compared to those of Ni⁰, as well as with a greater stability of Pd-promoted catalysts during on-stream conditions. A linear correlation has been found between the total amount of desorbed H₂, as determined from H₂-TPD experiments on freshly reduced catalysts, and the initial turnover frequency.     

Synthesis of DME from syngas on the bifunctional Cu–ZnO–Al2O3/Zr-modified ferrierite: Effect of Zr content

The catalytic activity on the coprecipitated Cu–ZnO–Al₂O₃/Zr-ferrierite (CZA–ZrFER) with different Zr content from 0 to 5 wt.% was investigated for the direct synthesis of dimethylether (DME) from H₂-deficient and biomass-derived model syngas (H₂/CO molar ratio = 0.93). The catalytic functionalities, such as CO conversion and DME selectivity, showed their maxima on the bifunctional catalyst with 3 wt.% Zr-modified ferrierite. Detailed characterization studies were conducted on the catalysts to measure their properties such as surface area, acidity by temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD), reducibility of Cu oxide by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), copper surface area measurements by N₂O titration method, electronic states of copper by IR analysis and particle size measurement by XRD and TEM analysis. The number of acid sites measured by NH₃-TPD on the bifunctional catalysts decreased monotonously with the increase of Zr content, meanwhile, the acidic strength is found to be minimal on the catalyst showing best performance. The reducibility of copper oxide and the surface area of metallic copper also exhibited their maximum values at the same Zr composition indicating that these are responsible for the optimum functionality of the bifunctional CZA–ZrFER catalyst. The role of easily reducible copper species with small particle size and the suppressed strong acidic sites is also emphasized in the consecutive reaction from syngas to DME on the bifunctional catalyst. The different behavior of intrinsic rate of the bifunctional catalysts is also well correlated with the metallic surface area of copper and the amount of acidic sites with their acidic strength.     

Design and construct CeO2-ZrO2-Al2O3 materials with controlled structures via co-precipitation method by using different precipitants

To design and construct CeO₂-ZrO₂-Al₂O₃(CZA) materials with controlled structure via co-precipitation method, the NH₃·H₂O and (NH₄)₂CO₃ were worked as precipitants, respectively. And the influence of the precipitants on nucleation, growth and thermal behavior of the CZA materials were investigated. Results of H₂-TPR, XRD, XPS, UV–Vis, TEM and HAADF-TEM elemental mapping show that using NH₃·H₂O as precipitant facilities to form homogeneous CeO₂-ZrO₂(CZ) solid solution with better solid solubility but the resulting CZA materials sinters severely due to the “mechanical-like” mixing mode between Ce, Zr and Al. On the contrary, the CZA materials precipitated by (NH₄)₂CO₃ shows a better textural and structural stability due to the uniform distribution of Ce, Zr and Al. However, the H₂ consumption of CZA precipitated by (NH₄)₂CO₃ is limited by the inferior Ce and Zr solid solubility due to stronger interactions among the components. It is also found that the surface and subsurface reduction of CZA materials are controlled by specific surface area and crystal size, while the bulk reduction of CZA materials correlates with solid solubility of Ce and Zr, crystal size and surface Ce/Zr ratio simultaneously.