On April 12^th, 2024, Zhao Wei's researchgrouphave publishedresearch paper titled"Evolution and performances of Ni single atoms trapped by mesoporous ceria in Dry Reforming of Methane" in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy. Prof. Wei Zhao from Shenzhen University andProfHaifeng Xiong’s research group from Xiamen University have collaborated to use ordered mesoporous ceria as a support to capture single nickel atoms and apply them to the dry reforming of methane reaction.Through a variety of characterization techniques and analyses, they have uncovered the unique structure and exceptional performance of the catalyst. The ordered mesoporous ceria support offers a large number of oxygen vacancies and basic sites, which aid in activating carbon dioxide and generating reactive oxygen, effectively removing carbon deposition. Furthermore, the ordered mesoporous ceria inhibits the transformation of nickel single atoms into nickel clusters during sintering, enhancing the stability of the catalyst.

The research results indicate that the Ni1@mp-CeO₂ catalyst exhibits high catalytic stability in DRM. Although there was a slight decrease in performance after 40 hours of operation, the conversion rates of CH₄and CO₂reached approximately 91% and 90%, respectively. Compared to the conventional Ni1/CeO₂ catalyst, the Ni1@mp-CeO₂ catalyst demonstrates superior resistance to carbon deposition. This study provides new insights for the design of methane dry reforming catalysts and opens up new avenues for the application of efficient and stable catalysts in high-temperature reactions.

Prof. Wei Zhao is the corresponding author,Theco-authorisMin Hu，a undergraduateat the Institute for Advanced Study.

Article link：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.124069