Design and Optimization of Trimetallic NiCoFe Catalysts for Efficient Dry Reforming of Methane

Dry reforming of methane is an advantageous technique to produce syngas by using greenhouse gases like CO2 and CH4. This study investigated the stability, catalytic effectiveness, and physicochemical characteristics of mono- and trimetallic catalysts based on Ni and supported on γ-Al2O3. Adding Co and Fe has been found to modify the structure and surface through the characterizations, including XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, H2-TPR, and XPS methods. Compared to the monometallic Ni catalyst, the trimetallic catalysts exhibited improved alloy formation, reduced particle size, increased metal dispersion, and enhanced surface area and pore structures. The 10% Ni, 2.5% Co, and 2.5% Fe-Al2O3 catalyst exhibits higher CH4 conversion, surpassing 75%, and also CO2 conversion around 85% at 700 °C, compared to 15% Ni-Al2O3, which showed CH4 conversion of about 65% and CO2 conversion of 70%. It also showed comparatively good stability in 24 h testing performed at 700 °C. According to the findings of the research on trimetallic catalysts, their capacity to improve dry reforming of methane (DRM) performance may be attributed to increased stability, which is a crucial challenge in the production of sustainable syngas, as well as higher activity and lower deactivation.