CO2 reforming of CH4 to syngas over nickel-based catalysts

Global warming is mainly due to the massive emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), which should thus be limited in the future. For that, dry reforming of methane (DRM) is promising because this process uses CH4 and CO2. Ni-based catalysts have been recently developed for DRM, as a cheaper alternative to noble metal catalysts. Here, we review CO2 reforming of CH4 to syngas over nickel-based catalysts, with focus on the design and controlling factors. We discuss the microscale structure to overcome the bottlenecks of rapid carbon deposition and easy sintering. We present the four factors controlling the activity of Ni-based catalysts: 1) promoters, which improve the catalytic activity and reduce carbon deposition; 2) supports allowing to obtain highly dispersed active components and to limit metal sintering and carbon deposition at high temperatures; 3) preparation methods, which control particle size and dispersion of the active metal; and 4) bimetallic catalytic components, which improve the properties of nickel-based catalysts.