Nitrided Ni/N-zeolites as efficient catalysts for the dry reforming of methane

• Ni/N-zeolites containing N in the framework were synthesized and employed for DRM. • Framework N increases the Ni dispersion and creates new CO 2 adsorption sites. • Ni/N-zeolites improve DRM activity when side reactions are suppressed at high temp. • Ni/N-ZSM-5 showed good activity at high temp. due to its high thermal stability. N-ZSM-5 and N-beta zeolites with enhanced basic properties were prepared by substituting the framework oxygen with nitrogen using the high temperature nitridation with ammonia. The basic zeolites and their acidic counterparts were impregnated with Ni by the incipient wetness impregnation method and their catalytic properties for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) were investigated. The physicochemical properties of the prepared catalysts, such as the chemical state of nickel and properties of the framework nitrogen and acid-bases, were characterized by elemental analysis, 29 Si MAS NMR, NH 3 and CO 2 TPD, IR, XPS, and H 2 chemisorption. For all the catalysts, the DRM activity according to time on stream was compared by changing the temperature under the identical conditions. From the overall results, we demonstrated that the nitrided Ni/N-ZSM-5 exhibited superior DRM activity to the Ni/H-ZSM-5 especially at high temperature owing to the enhanced basic property and dispersion of Ni active species.