Unique catalysis of Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst in CO2 methanation: cooperative effect between Ni nanoparticles and a basic support

Ni-Al hydrotalcite derived catalyst (Ni-Al₂O₃-HT) exhibited a narrow Ni particle-size distribution with an average particle size of 4.0 nm. Methanation of CO₂ over this catalyst initiated at 225 °C and reached 82.5% CO₂ conversion with 99.5% CH₄ selectivity at 350 °C, which was much better than its impregnated counterpart. Characterizations by means of CO₂ microcalorimetry and ²⁷Al NMR indicated that large amount of strong basic sites existed on Ni-Al₂O₃-HT, originated from the formation of Ni-O-Al structure. The existence of strong basic sites facilitated the activation of CO₂ and consequently promoted the activity. The combination of highly dispersed Ni with strong basic support led to its unique and high efficiency for this reaction.