CO2 methanation boosted by support-size-dependent strong metal-support interaction and B–O–Ti component

Abstract

Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) has a great impact on the activity and selectivity of heterogeneous catalysts, which was usually adjusted by changing reduction temperature or processing catalyst in different atmosphere. However, few researches concentrate on modulating SMSI through regulating the structure of the support. Herein, we show how changing the surface environment of the anatase TiO2 (B–TiO2) can be used to modulate the SMSI. The moderate TiOx overlayer makes the Ni metal highly dispersed on the high specific surface area of support, resulting in a substantially enhanced CO2 methanation rate. Besides, a novel phenomenon was observed that boron dopants promote the formation of the B–O–Ti interface site, enhancing the catalytic performance of CO2 hydrogenation. DFT calculations confirm that the B–O–Ti structure facilitates the activation of CO2 and further hydrogenation to methane.

Keywords

• CO2 Methanation
• B-doped TiO2
• SMSI
• Size-dependent