NixAl1O2-δ mesoporous catalysts for dry reforming of methane: The special role of NiAl2O4 spinel phase and its reaction mechanism

The structure evolution of surface NiAl2O4 spinel phase in NixAl1O2-δ mesoporous catalysts, synthesized by the citric acid sol-gel method, was systematically investigated. Small-size Ni nanoparticles, obtained by partial reduction from NiAl2O4 spinel in NixAl1O2-δ catalysts with low Ni contents at high temperature, can effectively inhibit the carbon formation from kinetics, while the irreducible NiAl2O4 counterpart can participate in elimination...