Embedded catalysts prepared by grinding crystallization and their catalytic performance in dry reforming of methane: Domain-limited nanostructures for high activity and stability

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) takes advantage of greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2) and mitigates their eco-environmental consequences. However, the biggest obstacle for DRM reactions has been the design of catalysts with high resistance to sintering and carbon deposition. In this paper, the embedded bimetallic nickel-cobalt@ silicalite-1 (S1) catalysts (NiCo@S1), with high resistance to sintering and lower carbon deposition, were prepared by grinding crystallization method. The physicochemical characterizations demonstrated that the embedded catalyst for NiCo@S1 could effectively control the size and dispersion of the active metal Ni–Co in the catalyst compared to the supported catalysts for 10Ni/SiO2 and 10Ni/S1, which further enhance the interaction between the active metal phase and the carrier S1, and greatly minimize the amount of carbon accumulation on the catalysts. After being subjected to a reaction at 700 °C for 6 h, the 10Ni2.5Co@S1 exhibited a significant performance improvement. The instantaneous conversion rate of CH4 increased from 63.17% to 86.39% (an increase of 23.22%), and the instantaneous conversion rate of CO2 rose from 70.20% to 88.62% (an increase of 18.42%). Additionally, carbon deposition reduced from 14.58% to 0.82% (a decrease of 13.76%). Therefore, the conceptual design provided a new perspective for designing Ni-based dry reforming catalysts.