Synergistic effect of Ru single atom and nanoparticle on photothermal methane dry reforming reaction

Dry reforming of methane is indeed an attractive pathway for converting greenhouse gases into syngas. However, owing to the strong-endothermic nature of this reaction, high reaction temperature is commonly involved which causes high energy consumption, catalytic deactivation by sintering of active species, and/or coke formation. Herein, a RuSA+NP/TiO2 composite catalyst consisting of uniformly dispersed Ru nanoparticles (RuNP) and Ru single atoms (RuSA) on TiO2 sheet is fabricated. This catalyst demonstrates remarkable syngas generation rates of 1380 mmol g-1h−1 for CO and 933 mmol g-1h−1 for H2 at 500 °C under light irradiation. It is concluded that the presence of Ru single atoms modulates the electronic structure of catalyst, reducing energy barrier in the DRM process. Additionally, the electron-deficient Ru nanoparticles provide effective sites for CH4 dissociation. Light irradiation is found to reduce the apparent activation energy (Ea) of DRM and enhance durability of catalyst by retarding coking process.