Asymmetric substrate supported Ni catalysts for robust photothermal catalytic dry reforming of methane
Date
2025
Authors
Sang, C.
Xu, W.
Xue, K.
Zou, Y.
Li, S.
Han, S.
Chen, H.
Sun, H.
Wang, S.
Zhang, J.
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Journal article
Citation
Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2025; 13(23):17499-17510
Statement of Responsibility
Cheng Sang, Weiyi Xu, Kang Xue, Yajie Zou, Shuli Li, Shengjie Han, Haijun Chen, Hongqi Sun, Shaobin Wang, and Jinqiang Zhang
Conference Name
Abstract
Photothermal catalytic dry reforming of methane with CO₂ has emerged as a promising yet nascent strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and enabling clean energy conversion. However, achieving optimal performance requires advances in both catalyst design and mechanistic understanding. Herein, we adopted a double-emulsion-guided micelle assembly strategy to synthesize asymmetric supports (AMONs and AMOMs), featuring unidirectional open/closed pore channels. This distinctive architecture enabled the formation of an asymmetric catalyst configuration through ethylene glycol-assisted selective confinement of Ni nanoparticles at the open-pore termini. Compared to conventional symmetric catalysts, the optimized 5% Ni AMONs EG and 5% Ni AMOMs EG exhibited higher specific surface areas and improved metal dispersion, resulting in an abundance of active sites. Moreover, the asymmetric design strengthened the built-in electric fields, directing more photogenerated hot carriers and localized thermal energy toward reactant activation. Consequently, 5% Ni AMOMs EG achieved a remarkable H₂ production rate of 2314.2 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and sustained H₂ yields over 50 hours, outperforming symmetric counterparts and even some reported noble metal-based catalysts. This work offers a smart photothermal catalyst candidate and elucidates its structure–performance relationship, advancing photothermal catalytic technology for solar fuel production.
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© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025