Ni Nanoparticles Supported on Cage‐Type Mesoporous Silica for CO2 Hydrogenation with High CH4 Selectivity

• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600710
• Publication Date: 2016-08-17T06:16:46Z
• Authors: Canggih Setya Budi; Hung‐Chi Wu; Ching‐Shiun Chen; Diganta Saikia; Hsien‐Ming Kao
• Keywords: Nickel; Metal Nanoparticles; Hydrogenation; Carbon Dioxide; Silicon Dioxide; Methane; Porosity; 01 natural sciences; Catalysis; 0104 chemical sciences

AbstractNi nanoparticles (around 4 nm diameter) were successfully supported on cage‐type mesoporous silica SBA‐16 (denoted as Ni@SBA‐16) via wet impregnation at pH 9, followed by the calcination‐reduction process. The Ni@SBA‐16 catalyst with a very high Ni loading amount (22.9 wt %) exhibited exceptionally high CH4 selectivity for CO2 hydrogenation. At a nearly identical loading amount, the Ni@SBA‐16 catalysts with smaller particle size of Ni NPs surprisingly exhibited a higher catalytic activity of CO2 hydrogenation and also led to a higher selectivity on CH4 formation than the Ni@SiO2 catalysts. This enhanced activity of the Ni@SBA‐16 catalyst is suggested to be an accumulative result of the advantageous structural properties of the support SBA‐16 and the well confined Ni NPs within the support; both induced a favorable reaction pathway for high selectivity of CH4 in CO2 hydrogenation.