Steam-promoted Methane-CO2 reforming by NiPdCeOx@SiO2 nanoparticle clusters for syngas production

We demonstrate a facile aerosol-based approach to fabricate hybrid nanostrcutures, NiPdO_x-CeO₂ nanoparticles deposited on the SiO₂ nanoparticle clusters, for the catalysis of steam-promoted CO₂ reforming with methane. Ultrafine crystallites of active metal and promoter (≈5 nm) are created with tunable cluster sizes and chemical compositions. A superior catalytic performance achieves at low temperature (550 °C): remarkable turnover frequency (≈2 s^?1), tunable H₂/CO ratio (1.1–1.9) and high 100-h operation stability. Incorporation of SiO₂ nanoparticle cluster as support material increases dispersion of active metals and suppresses metal sintering during material synthesis and catalysis. Hybridization with Pd significantly improves the activity of Ni-based catalyst especially ≤600 °C. Addition of steam suppresses the coke formation by > 10 times. The work demonstrates a prototype study of developing bimetallic hybrid nanocatalysts homogeneously dispersed with promoter on the NPC mesoporous support by design, showing promise for the syngas production via synergistic catalysis of methane-CO₂ reforming.