The effect of Zn on the photo-assisted methane dry reforming over Ni-ZnO-Al2O3

Photo-thermo-chemical dry reforming of methane (PTC-DRM) produces syngas has been a promising strategy to utilize abundant solar energy and alleviate greenhouse effect. Herein, we report an efficient PTC-DRM process on Ni-based catalyst with Zn doping and investigate the effect of Zn on the catalytic performance of catalysts. Zn promoted the generation of active sites on the surface of Ni-Al 2 O 3 , suppressed the accumulation of coke during the reaction process and enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. Ni-ZnO-Al 2 O 3 catalyst exhibited highest thermal catalytic performance and the conversion of CH 4 and CO 2 are 50.2% and 58.1% at 650 ℃, respectively. All catalysts exhibited higher reaction rates of CH 4 and CO 2 and higher hydrogen selectivity under light conditions. Light also significantly enhanced the carbon deposition resistance and stability of the catalyst. And possible reaction mechanism of the Ni-ZnO-Al 2 O 3 was proposed during PTC-DRM process.