Photothermal Methane Dry Reforming Catalyzed by Multifunctional (Ni–Cu/CeO2)@SiO2 Catalyst

Photothermal catalysis is a promising technique for utilizing sustainable solar energy. In this work, we studied a multifunctional (Ni-Cu/CeO2)@SiO2 catalyst for photothermal methane dry reforming. The CeO2 enhanced light absorbance and provided the Ni-CeO2 interface compared to Ni@SiO2, while the Cu further increased the absorbance and provided the more effective interface compared to (Ni/CeO2)@SiO2. CH4 and CO2 rates reached 339 and 366 μmol/(gcat s), respectively, at 1023 K over the multifunctional catalyst, which were 105% and 48% higher than those achieved over the Ni@SiO2. The encapsulation of SiO2 and the metal–support interaction ensured the trace aggregation of Ni, and the CeO2 lessened carbon deposition on the used catalyst. The work demonstrated the more powerful photothermal approach for MDR, and the approach is applicable for other photosensitive reactions to enhance performance.