Non-oxidative Decomposition of CH4 Over CeO2 and CeO2-SiO2 Supported Bimetallic Ni-Mo Catalysts

The development of highly active and durable catalysts for H-2 production through CH4 decomposition process is still a great challenge. In this study, CeO2 and CeO2-SiO2 supported bimetallic Ni-Mo catalysts were produced and examined for CH4 decomposition at 700 degrees C. The unreacted and reacted catalytic materials were characterized by XRD, BET, H-2-TPR, TGA-DTA, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The collected data illustrated that the inclusion of SiO2 to CeO2 support in Ni-Mo/CeO2-SiO2 catalyst participated in the inhibition of the catalytic efficiency because of the fast agglomeration of Ni particles on the SiO2 surface, that arise from the weak interactions between the metal and support. The Ni-Mo/CeO2 catalyst displayed an exceptional catalytic decomposition behavior and durability stemming from the facile formation of a solid Ni-O-Ce solution with a fair interaction in terms of metal-support and the presence of some NiMoO4 species. These phases improved the dispersion and stability of the active Ni particles, resulting in improved catalytic activity. The hydrogen yield was 48% and 29% after 180 min of reaction over Ni-Mo/CeO2 and Ni-Mo/CeO2-SiO2 catalysts, respectively. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes of diverse radii were produced on the surface of both reacted catalysts depending on the catalyst structure and composition. TGA and Raman results showed that the as-deposited MWCNTs over both CeO2 and CeO2-SiO2 supported Ni-Mo catalysts exhibited good crystallinity and high graphitization degree.

Automated summary

The study developed and examined bimetallic Ni-Mo catalysts supported on CeO2 and CeO2-SiO2 for CH4 decomposition, revealing the influence of SiO2 on catalytic efficiency. Ni-Mo/CeO2 catalyst demonstrated exceptional decomposition behavior and durability, with high hydrogen yield.