Bimetallic Ni-Pd/SBA-15 alloy as an effective catalyst for selective hydrogenation of CO2 to methane

It is very challenging but still promising to develop highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for selective hydrogenation of CO2 to methane. Supported bimetallic Ni-Pd/SBA-15 alloy catalysts with a varied ratio of Ni/Pd were prepared by one-pot wet chemical and impregnation method. A series of techniques were employed to characterize the elemental composition and alloy structure of as-synthesized Ni-Pd/SBA-15 catalysts. The alloyed bimetallic Ni-Pd/SBA-15 catalysts showed relatively higher catalytic activity compared with monometallic Pd- or Ni-supported SBA-15 and several other published catalysts. The bimetallic catalyst with Ni:Pd atom ratio of 3:1 was most active in the formation of CH4 and yielded 0.93 mol CH4 per mol CO2 at 430 degrees C. This superior performance can be attributed to enhanced synergy between Ni and Pd with high dispersion of active sites. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.