New Catalyst Converts Greenhouse Gases Into Hydrogen With 97% Less Nickel

A small tweak in chemistry could make a big impact on climate and energy. Researchers in South Korea have engineered a self-generating catalyst that transforms methane and carbon dioxide into syngas and hydrogen while using only 3 percent of the nickel required by conventional systems.

The work, led by Dr. Heeyeon Kim and Dr. Yoonseok Choi at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) in collaboration with Professor WooChul Jung at Seoul National University, was recently published in ACS Catalysis.

Why Dry Reforming Matters

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) reacts methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), two powerful greenhouse gases, at high temperatures to produce hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO). Together, these molecules form syngas, a versatile feedstock for fuels, chemicals, and electricity generation. Beyond its industrial uses, DRM directly reduces greenhouse gases, making it attractive for climate mitigation and hydrogen-based energy systems.

Nickel catalysts are widely used in DRM because they are inexpensive and effective. But their drawback is coke deposition, a buildup of carbon on the catalyst surface that rapidly reduces performance and hampers commercialization. Overcoming this bottleneck has been a central focus of energy research.

How Self-Generating Catalysts Work

A promising alternative is the self-generating, or exsolving, catalyst. Instead of sitting on the surface, the metal atoms are embedded inside a perovskite oxide lattice. When the reaction starts, the metal atoms migrate outward, forming tiny, well-dispersed particles that bond strongly with the support. This migration prevents clumping and greatly reduces carbon buildup.

In the new study, the team fine-tuned the chemistry of lanthanum manganite (LaMnO₃), a perovskite oxide commonly used as the catalyst support. They substituted a portion of lanthanum (La³⁺) with calcium (Ca²⁺). This weakened interatomic bonding, allowing nickel atoms to exsolve more easily to the surface where the reaction takes place.

Balancing Stability and Performance

Too much calcium, however, destabilizes the crystal structure, undermining performance. The researchers identified an optimal substitution range that maintained structural stability while boosting activity. At this sweet spot, the catalyst achieved high conversion rates and long-term durability.

Key findings included:
– Only 3 percent as much nickel was required to produce the same amount of syngas as conventional catalysts.
– No coke deposition was observed, even after 500 hours of continuous operation at 800 °C.
– The catalyst maintained its conversion efficiency, outperforming standard Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts under the same conditions.

Economic And Climate Implications

Nickel is both a cost driver and a supply risk in catalyst manufacturing. Reducing nickel demand by 97 percent while enhancing durability could cut costs and enable wider deployment of DRM. The approach also aligns with global pushes for hydrogen production, carbon management, and sustainable energy systems.

In their announcement, Dr. Heeyeon Kim said,

“The self-generating catalyst technology is a groundbreaking innovation that not only effectively resolves the catalyst deactivation issues mainly by coke deposition of conventional nickel catalysts but also significantly reduces the costs of raw materials and reaction processes.”

Co-corresponding author Dr. Yoonseok Choi added that the work has broad relevance, including to high-temperature water electrolysis and next-generation energy systems.

Looking Ahead

The findings offer a platform for applying self-generating catalysts beyond DRM to other hydrocarbon reforming processes and solid oxide fuel cell integration. By addressing both durability and raw material efficiency, the research may help unlock the commercial viability of greenhouse gas conversion technologies.

The study was supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Research’s Research Program and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Journal: ACS Catalysis
DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5b12345