CeO2 Induced Ni-Ce Interaction Enables Efficient CO2 Methanation on Ni/Al2O3/SiC Structured Catalyst

Structured catalysts are one of the most widely used catalysts for carbon dioxide (CO2) methanation, while the interactions between the loaded catalyst and structural supports significantly affect its catalytic activity and stability. Herein, CeO2 modification was employed to regulate the effect of the interaction between Al2O3 and SiC on the Ni/Al2O3/SiC structured catalyst for CO2 methanation. The results of characterization and catalytic performance tests reveal that CeO2 promotes the formation of Ni-Ce interaction, which induces the generation of abundant oxygen vacancies and weakens the Al-mediated constraint on Ni reducibility due to Ni-Al2O3 interaction, thereby significantly boosting both activity and stability. Therefore, the optimal Ni-16CeO2/Al2O3/SiC catalyst exhibits a much higher CO2 conversion at 300–400 °C and superior stability during an 80 h long-term test in comparison with the Ni/Al2O3/SiC catalyst. This work provides a feasible strategy for designing a high-performance structured catalyst for CO2 methanation.