Development of Coke Resistant Ni Catalysts for CO(2) Reforming of Methane via Glow Discharge Plasma Treatment

We have previously reported a novel preparation of Ni catalysts for CO(2) reforming of methane using glow discharge plasma treatment. Smaller particle size and flat metal-support interface obtained lead to a significantly enhanced coke resistant property with a significantly improved activity. However, the mechanism for how the plasma treatment enhances the coke resistance is still unclear. In this work, we attempt to summarize the present understanding regarding the mechanism. From the infred image, the plasma treatment is operated at room temperature. The thermal effect can be ignored. The energetic electron in the plasmas is the controlling influence factor on the catalyst treatment. It was observed the plasma treatment improves the hydrophilic property of the support. And, the negative charge of the supporting materials under the influence of plasmas changes the reactivity of the surface and the interaction between the nickel and the support. All these changes induce the formation of nano particles with samller size, narrow size distribution and flat morphology, which significantly enhance the coke resistant property of the catalyst.