Catalytic Biomass Gasification to Syngas Over Highly Dispersed Lanthanum-Doped Nickel on SBA-15

Catalytic biomass gasification is an environmentally benign solution to energy problems. A series of Ni catalysts on mesoporous SBA-15 are synthesized with various La2O3 loadings. The catalytic activity of unpromoted Ni/SBA-15 catalyst indicates that it has a high carbon formation rate, resulting in fast deactivation. In contrast, addition of La2O3 to Ni/SBA-15 catalyst helps to remove deposited carbon by formation of oxycarbonate, resulting in higher CO production. A 1% La doping in the Ni/SBA-15 catalyst is sufficient to achieve high activity and stability in biomass gasification with various raw materials and in the steam reforming of toluene as a tar model compound. The combination of small metal particle size, high metal dispersion, high surface area of SBA-15, the crucial role of La in carbon removal, and the novel synthesis method result in a highly active, stable, and effective 1% La-Ni/SBA-15 catalyst for biomass gasification.