Tailored Cu-modified Ni/Al ₂ O ₃ for enhanced catalytic cracking of methane via regulating carbon deposition

Methane catalytic decomposition has emerged as a promising route for CO2-free hydrogen production. In this paper, the effect of xCu-Ni/Al2O3 catalysts with different Cu loadings on the catalytic decomposition of methane was investigated. Catalysts with mesoporous structure were prepared by the impregnation method. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were evaluated by different characterization methods (XRD, BET, H2-TPR, SEM, TEM, Raman and TG). The results showed that the addition of Cu improved the catalytic performance of the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. The 5Cu-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst exhibited the optimal catalytic performance, achieving a methane conversion of 64.5% and hydrogen selectivity of 67.0%, along with excellent stability. This enhanced performance is attributed to its larger specific surface area, relatively loose morphology, and improved NiO reducibility. Moreover, plenty of filamentary deposited carbon formation on the 5Cu-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was favorable to maintain its high activity.