Rational design of Ni-based catalysts for methane dry reforming: Recent advances and future perspectives

Abstract

Amid intensifying global warming and mounting pressure to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, the efficient valorization of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) has emerged as a critical technological imperative. Among various approaches, methane dry reforming (DRM) uniquely enables these primary contributors to global warming to be transformed concurrently into syngas. Such a composition is exceptionally well-matched for subsequent methanol synthesis as well as the Fischer-Tropsch route. Nickel-based catalysts have garnered particular attention owing to their economic accessibility and robust catalytic properties that rival those of precious metals. However, realizing their full potential requires a delicate balance between activity, coke resistance, and long-term stability, which can be finely tuned through precise control over metal dispersion, particle morphology, strong metal-support interactions, and judicious incorporation of promoters. In this comprehensive review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments concerning the strategic engineering of Ni-based catalytic materials for DRM. Finally, we highlight emerging challenges and future opportunities, including the integration of DRM with flexible energy technologies, because DRM also can be driven by renewable and spatially distributed heat/electricity inputs, which offers a pathway toward localized carbon recycling and decentralized, carbon-lean syngas production from CH₄ and CO₂.