Preparation of Ni based mesoporous Al(2)O(3) catalyst with enhanced CO(2) methanation performance

A Ni based mesoporous γ-Al(2)O(3) (MA) catalyst was prepared via partial hydrolysis without organic surfactants and employed in the carbon dioxide methanation reaction. The obtained catalysts were characterized by N(2) adsorption–desorption, H(2)-TPR, XRD, XPS, TG, SEM and TEM-EDS techniques. CO(2) methanation was performed in a fixed-bed reactor. A high surface area of MA with excellent hydrothermal stability was obtained, which promoted the dispersion of nickel species, producing a better catalytic performance. Incorporation of more NiO species into the Ni/MA catalyst increased the amount of active metallic Ni sties, further improving the catalytic activity and CH(4) selectivity. Moreover, the monolithic skeleton of MA with fabric-like walls suppressed the aggregation of active metallic Ni sites and carbon deposition, enhancing the catalyst's stability, which provides a new insight for potential industrial applications.