Sol-derived AuNi/MgAl2O4catalysts: Formation, structure and activityin dry reforming of methane

Ni nanoparticles doped with different amount of gold were supported on MgAl2O4by deposition fromaqueous metal sol producing a series of catalysts with different Au content. The sol procedure was allowedto obtain dispersed metal particles with different composition. The particle size and the particle compo-sition of the sol were maintained even after being deposited on the support. The catalysts, characterizedby several techniques such as TPR, XPS, XRD, TEM, HRTEM and EELS at the different stages of their lifeexhibited significant structural modification. In particular, thermal treatments in reducing and oxidizingenvironment produced NiAu alloy phases and NiO surface segregation, respectively. When testing formethane dry reforming with CO2in temperature ramped reaction, the monometallic nickel catalyst wasmore active at lower temperature whereas the bimetallic catalysts were more active at higher temper-ature. The presence of gold slightly affected the CO/H2ratio due to the occurrence of parallel reactionssuch as the reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS). Both types of catalysts, monometallic and bimetallicones, deactivated a little with time but the degree of activity loss was not in straightforward relation withAu content due to the different effect of gold on the stability and on the amount of carbon formation.© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.