A Novel Carbon-Resistant Perovskite Catalyst for Hydrogen Production Using Methane Dry Reforming

The aim of this study was to evaluate a perovskite catalyst for use as a carbon-resistant catalyst in methane dry reforming. The oxygen-rich ABO_3+δ (CeCo_xNi_1-xO_3+δ) perovskite was selected for this investigation due to its crystalline nature and ability to accommodate a wide range of cations; perovskites notably possess catalytically advantageous oxidation and reduction properties. The perovskite catalysts were prepared as multicomponent oxides by sol-gel synthesis, which is considered a most effective technique for preparing these compounds. The properties of fresh catalysts were evaluated through X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, particle size distribution analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The tested catalysts exhibited superior catalytic performance over previously-studied ABO₃ catalysts, such as LaCoO₃ and LaNiO₃ systems. This high performance is attributed to electronic interactions between the Co and Ni sites, which results from the atomic-level mixing of ingredients in the sol-gel method. Analysis results revealed that when used as a catalyst in methane dry reforming, the presence of ceria in the perovskite system can improve coking resilience and confer stability even under prolonged usage in a carbon-rich environment.