Highly Active Ceria-Supported Ru Catalyst for the Dry Reforming of Methane: In Situ Identification of Ruδ+–Ce3+ Interactions for Enhanced Conversion

Facilitating the dry reforming of methane with interfacial synergistic catalysis in an Ir@CeO2-x catalyst

The dry reforming of methane provides an attractive route to convert greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2) into valuable syngas, so as to resolve the carbon cycle and environmental issues. However, the development of high-performance catalysts remains a huge challenge. Herein, we report a 0.6% Ir/CeO2-x catalyst with a metal-support interface structure which exhibits high CH4 (~72%) and CO2 (~82%) conversion and a CH4 reaction rate of ~973 μmolCH4 gcat-1 s-1 which is stable over 100 h at 700 °C. The performance of the catalyst is close to the state-of-the-art in this area of research. A combination of in situ spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations highlight the importance of the interfacial structure as an intrinsic active center to facilitate the CH4 dissociation (the rate-determining step) and the CH2* oxidation to CH2O* without coke formation, which accounts for the long-term stability. The catalyst in this work has a potential application prospect in the field of high-value utilization of carbon resources.

Interfacial Metal-Support Interaction and Catalytic Performance of Perovskite LaCrO3-Supported Ru Catalyst

Interfacial metal-support interaction (MSI) significantly affects the dispersion of active metals on the surface of the catalyst support and impacts catalyst performance. Understanding MSI is crucial for developing highly active and stable catalysts with a low metal loading, particularly for noble metal catalysts. In this work, we synthesized LaRuxCr1-xO3 catalysts with low Ru loading (x = 0.005, 0.01, and 0.02) using the sol-gel self-combustion method. We found that all of the Ru atoms immediately above or below the metal-support interface are closely bonded to the perovskite LaCrO3 surface lattice through Ru-O bonds, enhancing the MSI via interfacial reaction and charge transfer mechanisms. We identified a variety of Ru species, including small 3D Ru nanoparticles, 2D dispersed Ru surface atoms, and even 0D Ru single atoms. These highly dispersed Ru species exhibit high activity and stability under dry reforming of methane (DRM) conditions. The LaRu0.01Cr0.99O3 catalyst with very low Ru loading (0.42 wt %) was stable over a 50 h DRM test and the carbon deposition was negligible. The CH4 and CO2 conversions at 750 °C reached 83 and 86%, respectively, approaching the theoretical thermodynamic equilibrium values.

K-guided selective regulation mechanism for CO2 hydrogenation over Ni/CeO2 catalyst

Regulating the selectivity between CO and CH4 during CO2 hydrogenation is a challenging research topic. Previous research has indicated that potassium (K) modification can adjust the product selectivity by regulating the adsorption strength of formate/CO* intermediates. Going beyond the regulation mechanism described above, this study proposes a K-guided selectivity control method based on the regulation of key intermediates HCO*/H3CO* for Ni catalysts supported on reducible carrier CeO2. By incorporating K, the CO selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation shifts from around 25.4% for Ni/CeO2 to approximately 93.8% for Ni/CeO2-K. This can be attributed to K modification causes electron aggregation in the bonding regions of HCO* and H3CO* intermediates, thus enhancing their adsorption strength. Consequently, the reaction pathway from HCO*/H3CO* to CH4 is limited, favoring the decomposition of formates to CO products. Moreover, the addition of K leads to a moderate decrease in CO2 conversion from 55.2% to 48.6%, which still surpasses values reported in most other studies. This reduction is associated with a decline in reducible Ni species and oxygen vacancy concentration in Ni/CeO2-K. As a result, the adsorption capacity for CO2 and H2 reduces, ultimately reducing CO2 hydrogenation activity.

A semiconducting hybrid of RhOx/GaN@InGaN for simultaneous activation of methane and water toward syngas by photocatalysis

Prior to the eventual arrival of carbon neutrality, solar-driven syngas production from methane steam reforming presents a promising approach to produce transportation fuels and chemicals. Simultaneous activation of the two reactants, i.e. methane and water, with notable geometric and polar discrepancy is at the crux of this important subject yet greatly challenging. This work explores an exceptional semiconducting hybrid of RhOx/GaN@InGaN nanowires for overcoming this critical challenge to achieve efficient syngas generation from methane steam reforming by photocatalysis. By coordinating density functional theoretical calculations and microscopic characterizations, with in situ spectroscopic measurements, it is found that the multifunctional RhOx/GaN interface is effective for simultaneously activating both CH4 and H2O by stretching the C-H and O-H bonds because of its unique Lewis acid/base attribute. With the aid of energetic charge carriers, the stretched C-H and O-H bonds of reactants are favorably cleaved, resulting in the key intermediates, i.e. *CH3, *OH, and *H, to sit on Rh sites, Rh sites, and N sites, respectively. Syngas is subsequently produced via energetically favored pathway without additional energy inputs except for light. As a result, a benchmarking syngas formation rate of 8.1 mol·gcat-1·h-1 is achieved with varied H2/CO ratios from 2.4 to 0.8 under concentrated light illumination of 6.3 W·cm-2, enabling the achievement of a superior turnover number of 10,493 mol syngas per mol Rh species over 300 min of long-term operation. This work presents a promising strategy for green syngas production from methane steam reforming by utilizing unlimited solar energy.

Performance of Modified Alumina-Supported Ruthenium Catalysts in the Reforming of Methane with CO2

Ruthenium (1 wt%) catalysts supported on alumina doped with alkaline (Na and K) and alkaline earth metals (Ba, Ca, and Mg) of different concentrations (1, 5, and 10 wt%) were tested in the dry reforming of methane. All catalysts were prepared by the successive impregnation method. Supports were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area, temperature-programmed desorption of CO2, and 2-propanol dehydration. Additionally, catalysts were characterized by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Stability tests to study coke deposition were performed using long-time dry reforming reactions. All the catalysts showed good catalytic activity, and activity falls were never detected. Ru metallic phase seemed to be resistant to coke formation even though its particles are sintered during a long-term reaction.

The Extent of Platinum-Induced Hydrogen Spillover on Cerium Dioxide

Hydrogen spillover from metal nanoparticles to oxides is an essential process in hydrogenation catalysis and other applications such as hydrogen storage. It is important to understand how far this process is reaching over the surface of the oxide. Here, we present a combination of advanced sample fabrication of a model system and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to disentangle local and far-reaching effects of hydrogen spillover in a platinum-ceria catalyst. At low temperatures (25-100 °C and 1 mbar H2) surface O-H formed by hydrogen spillover on the whole ceria surface extending microns away from the platinum, leading to a reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+. This process and structures were strongly temperature dependent. At temperatures above 150 °C (at 1 mbar H2), O-H partially disappeared from the surface due to its decreasing thermodynamic stability. This resulted in a ceria reoxidation. Higher hydrogen pressures are likely to shift these transition temperatures upward due to the increasing chemical potential. The findings reveal that on a catalyst containing a structure capable to promote spillover, hydrogen can affect the whole catalyst surface and be involved in catalysis and restructuring.

Highly Active Ni-Ru Bimetallic Catalyst Integrated with MFI Zeolite-Loaded Cerium Zirconium Oxide for Dry Reforming of Methane

The dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a new potential technology that converts two major greenhouse gases into useful chemical feedstocks. The main challenge faced by this process is maintaining the catalyst with high catalytic activity and long-term stability. Here, a simple and effective preparation route for the synthesis of functional nanomolecular sieve catalysts (NiRu_xCZZ5) from kaolinite tailings was developed for dry reforming of methane with CO₂. The silica monoliths with flower-like spherical and micropore structures (ZSM-5) were prepared by crystal growth method, and the metal components were loaded by ultrasonic-assisted impregnation method. The NiRu_0.5CZZ5 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance (maxmium CO₂ and CH₄ conversions up to 100 and 95.6%, respectively) and very good stability (up to 100h). The interfacial confinement and the strong support interaction are principally responsible for the excellent catalytic activity of the catalyst. The in situ DRIFTS was used to elucidate the possible carbon conversion steps, and stable surface intermediates were also identified.

Tailored Plasmonic Ru/OV-MoO2 on TiO2 Catalysts via Solid-Phase Interface Engineering: Toward Highly Efficient Photoassisted Li-O2 Batteries with Enhanced Cycling Reliability

The photoassisted electrochemical reactions are considered an effective method to reduce the overpotential of Li-O₂ batteries. However, achieving long-term cell cycling stability remains a challenge. Here, we report a solid-phase interfacial reaction (SPIR) strategy that introduces both oxygen vacancies (O_V) and metal centers (Ru) into the MoO₂ to synthesize the surface plasmon (i.e., Ru/O_V-MoO₂). Then, Ru/O_V-MoO₂ can be uniformly loaded on the TiO₂ nanowires by the hydrothermal method. The plasma effect of Ru/O_V-MoO₂ demonstrates the effective reduction of the photoexcited electron and hole recombination to improve visible light-harvesting ability. The lifetime of electrons and holes can be extended by Ru nanoparticles, which is beneficial for promoting the formation and decomposition of Li₂O₂. In addition, the generated O_V further enhanced the migration of electrons and Li⁺, thus improving the ORR performance. The Ru/O_V-MT/CC cathode corroborates excellent stability and catalytic performance in the photoassisted Li-O₂ battery, with an overpotential value of 0.47 V, achieving the highest energy efficiency of 93.94%, retaining at 89.13% after 800 h. This work offers a platform for preparing a stable, bifunctional catalyst with the high total activity of a photoassisted Li-O₂ battery.

Sustainable Synthesis of a Highly Stable and Coke-Free Ni@CeO2 Catalyst for the Efficient Carbon Dioxide Reforming of Methane

A facile and green synthetic strategy is developed in this paper for the construction of an efficient catalyst for the industrially important carbon dioxide reforming of methane, which is also named the dry reforming of methane (DRM). Through controlling the synthetic strategy and Ni content, a high-performance Ni@CeO2 catalyst was successfully fabricated. The catalyst showed superb efficiency for producing the syngas with high and stable conversions at prolonged operating conditions. Incorporating Ni during the ceria (CeO2) crystallization resulted in a more stable structure and smaller nanoparticle (NP) size with a more robust interaction with the support than loading Ni on CeO2 supports by the conventional impregnation method. The H2/CO ratio was almost 1.0, indicating the promising applicability of utilizing the obtained syngas for the Fischer–Tropsch process to produce worthy chemicals. No carbon deposits were observed over the as-synthesized catalyst after operating the DRM reaction for 50.0 h, even at a more coke-favoring temperature (700 ∘C). Owing to the superb resistance to coke and sintering, control of the size of the Ni-NPs, uniform dispersion of the active phase, and potent metal interaction with the support, the synthesized catalyst achieved a magnificent catalytic activity and durability during serving for the DRM reaction for extended operating periods.

Elucidation of the reaction mechanism on dry reforming of methane in an electric field by in situ DRIFTs

With increasing expectations for carbon neutrality, dry reforming is anticipated for direct conversion of methane and carbon dioxide: the main components of biogas. We have found that dry reforming of methane in an electric field using a Pt/CeO₂ catalyst proceeds with sufficient rapidity even at a low temperature of about 473 K. The effect of the electric field (EF) on dry reforming was investigated using kinetic analysis, in situ DRIFTs, XPS, and DFT calculation. In situ DRIFTs and XPS measurements indicated that the amount of carbonate, which is an adsorbed species of CO₂, increased with the application of EF. XPS measurements also confirmed the reduction of CeO₂ by the reaction of surface oxygen and CH₄. The reaction between CH₄ molecules and surface oxygen was promoted at the interface between Pt and CeO₂.

In the dry reforming of methane in an electric field, the reaction between CH₄ molecules and surface oxygen was promoted at the interface between Pt and CeO₂.

The synergistic effect of Hf-O-Ru bonds and oxygen vacancies in Ru/HfO2 for enhanced hydrogen evolution

Ru nanoparticles have been demonstrated to be highly active electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). At present, most of Ru nanoparticles-based HER electrocatalysts with high activity are supported by heteroatom-doped carbon substrates. Few metal oxides with large band gap (more than 5 eV) as the substrates of Ru nanoparticles are employed for the HER. By using large band gap metal oxides substrates, we can distinguish the contribution of Ru nanoparticles from the substrates. Here, a highly efficient Ru/HfO₂ composite is developed by tuning numbers of Ru-O-Hf bonds and oxygen vacancies, resulting in a 20-fold enhancement in mass activity over commercial Pt/C in an alkaline medium. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that strong metal-support interaction via Ru-O-Hf bonds and the oxygen vacancies in the supported Ru samples synergistically lower the energy barrier for water dissociation to improve catalytic activities.

Although ruthenium nanomaterials have proven to be effective catalysts for H₂ evolution, there is still room for activity improvements. Here, authors develop an efficient Ru/HfO₂ electrocatalyst with tuned Ru-O-Hf bonds and oxygen vacancies that shows high activities for alkaline H₂ evolution.

Low Nickel, Ceria Zirconia-Based Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A Study of Composition and Oxidation Using Hydrogen and Methane Fuel

The study examines the effect of using low nickel (Ni) with high ceria (CeO2) anode content towards the oxidation of H2 and CH4 fuel by evaluating the activation energy of the ohmic process and charge transfer process. Using a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC), the anodes are made up of 50% YSZ with varying NiO:CeO2 percentages from 0% NiO, 50% CeO2 to 50% NiO, 0% CeO2. The performance is measured based on maximum power density (MPD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and activation energy, Ea of the ohmic (Rohm) and charge transfer (Rct) processes. We found that by lowering the Ni content to lower than 50% NiO, anode conductivity will drop by 7-fold. An anode containing 37.5% NiO, 12.5% CeO2 yield MPD of 41.1 and 2.9 mW cm−2 when tested on H2 and CH4 fuels thus have the lowest Ni content without an abrupt negative effect on the MPD and EIS. The significant effect of conductivity drops on MPD and EIS are observed to occur at 25% NiO, 25% CeO2 and lower NiO content. However, anode content of 25% NiO, 25% CeO2 has the lowest Ea for Rct (29.74 kJ mol−1) for operation in CH4, making it the best anode composition to oxidize CH4. As a conclusion, an anode containing 25% NiO:25% CeO2:50% YSZ and 37.5% NiO:12.5% CeO2:50% YSZ shows promising results in becoming the low Ni anode for coking-tolerant SOFC.

Support Induced Effects on the Ir Nanoparticles Activity, Selectivity and Stability Performance under CO2 Reforming of Methane

The production of syngas (H₂ and CO)—a key building block for the manufacture of liquid energy carriers, ammonia and hydrogen—through the dry (CO₂−) reforming of methane (DRM) continues to gain attention in heterogeneous catalysis, renewable energy technologies and sustainable economy. Here we report on the effects of the metal oxide support (γ-Al₂O₃, alumina-ceria-zirconia (ACZ) and ceria-zirconia (CZ)) on the low-temperature (ca. 500–750 °C) DRM activity, selectivity, resistance against carbon deposition and iridium nanoparticles sintering under oxidative thermal aging. A variety of characterization techniques were implemented to provide insight into the factors that determine iridium intrinsic DRM kinetics and stability, including metal-support interactions and physicochemical properties of materials. All Ir/γ-Al₂O₃, Ir/ACZ and Ir/CZ catalysts have stable DRM performance with time-on-stream, although supports with high oxygen storage capacity (ACZ and CZ) promoted CO₂ conversion, yielding CO-enriched syngas. CZ-based supports endow Ir exceptional anti-sintering characteristics. The amount of carbon deposition was small in all catalysts, however decreasing as Ir/γ-Al₂O₃ > Ir/ACZ > Ir/CZ. The experimental findings are consistent with a bifunctional reaction mechanism involving participation of oxygen vacancies on the support’s surface in CO₂ activation and carbon removal, and overall suggest that CZ-supported Ir nanoparticles are promising catalysts for low-temperature dry reforming of methane (LT-DRM).

Dry Reforming of Methane Using Ni Catalyst Supported on ZrO2: The Effect of Different Sources of Zirconia

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) has a substantial potential to provide a cost-effective process and in reducing greenhouse gases. Its application has been hindered by carbon deposition and instability problems. The use of an appropriate catalyst is influenced by the support type. The objective of this investigation is to elucidate the effect of different sources of ZrO2 support. Four kinds of ZrO2, namely RC-100 and Z-3215, MKnano, and ELTN were acquired from Japan, Canada, and China, respectively. The catalyst samples were analyzed by BET, XRD, TPR, TPD, TEM, TGA, TPO, FT-IR, and Raman. The analysis of the structural properties displayed that all Ni-supported catalysts, regardless of their source, are mesoporous and that 5Ni-RC-100 possessed the highest BET surface area of 17.7 m2/g and 5Ni-MKnano had the lowest value of BET 3.16 m2/g. In the TPD and TEM analysis, the 5Ni-RC-100 catalyst presented the highest intensity of basicity and the minimum average particle size of 3.35 nm, respectively. The 5Ni-RC-100 catalyst outperformed 5Ni-ELTN by exhibiting 44% higher CH4 conversion; however, 5Ni-RC-100 gave the highest weight loss in the TGA analysis of 66%.

Ru-Ni bimetallic catalysts for steam reforming of xylene: effects of active metals and calcination temperature of the support

A series of Ru and Ni supported catalysts were prepared and their catalytic performance was evaluated in the steam reforming of xylenes. The effects of active metals, active metal loading sequence, and the calcination temperature of the support on the catalyst activity and stability were investigated. The bimetallic 2Ru → 15Ni catalyst shows much higher activity and stability than the monometallic 2Ru and 15Ni catalyst owing to the synergic effect of Ni and Ru. The 2Ru → 15Ni catalyst has the least coke deposition owing to its high conversion performance and much less coke precursor being formed on the catalyst surface. After decoking, most of the small-sized pores cannot be recovered because of the pore collapse under severe hydrothermal conditions. o-Xylene has the lowest reactivity due to electronic and steric effects. Besides the steam reforming reaction, demethylation and C–C cracking are also observed, forming benzene and toluene. The catalyst with a loading sequence of 15Ni → 2Ru shows high activity at low temperatures (550–600 °C), but undergoes an activity drop at high temperatures (625–650 °C) because the Ni sintering at high temperatures greatly affects the state of Ru on the catalyst. The catalyst with a loading sequence of 2Ru → 15Ni has an advantage at high temperatures owing to its better sintering resistance. The simultaneously loaded 2Ru ↔ 15Ni catalyst shows the lowest activity. The high calcination temperature of the support enhances the catalyst stability by eliminating the small-sized pores before reaction; on the other hand, the elimination of pores decreases the dispersion of the active metals. The 2Ru → 15Ni catalyst calcined at 1000 °C balances the active metal dispersion and resistance to sintering under severe hydrothermal conditions, showing the best activity and stability. The catalyst calcined at 1000 °C has the best coke resistance with only 0.166 g g_cat⁻¹ of coke formation after the 24 h durability test. The DTG results indicate that the carbon formed on the catalysts is mainly graphitic carbon.

The performance of the bimetallic 2Ru15Ni/La₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃ catalyst in the steam reforming of xylene greatly depends on the metal loading sequence and support calcination temperature.

Dry reforming of methane on bimetallic Pt–Ni@CeO2 catalyst: a in situ DRIFTS-MS mechanistic study

Bimetallic Pt–Ni catalysts can promote catalytic dry reforming of methane (DRM) with improved activity and deactivation resistance compared to the relevant monometallic catalysts.

Comparison study of the effect of CeO2-based carrier materials on the total oxidation of CO, methane, and propane over RuO2

While activity and kinetics of catalytic CO and propane combustion over RuO2 depends sensitively on the carrier material, methane combustion on RuO2 is hardly affected by the carrier.

Raising the COx Methanation Activity of a Ru/γ-Al2 O3 Catalyst by Activated Modification of Metal-Support Interactions

Ru/Al₂O₃ is a highly stable, but less active catalyst for methanation reactions. Herein we report an effective approach to significantly improve its performance in the methanation of CO₂/H₂ mixtures. Highly active and stable Ru/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared by high‐temperature treatment in the reductive reaction gas. Operando/in situ spectroscopy and STEM imaging reveals that the strongly improved activity, by factors of 5 and 14 for CO and CO₂ methanation, is accompanied by a flattening of the Ru nanoparticles and the formation of highly basic hydroxylated alumina sites. We propose a modification of the metal–support interactions (MSIs) as the origin of the increased activity, caused by modification of the Al₂O₃ surface in the reductive atmosphere and an increased thermal mobility of the Ru nanoparticles, allowing their transfer to modified surface sites.

One-Step Synthesis of Highly Dispersed and Stable Ni Nanoparticles Confined by CeO2 on SiO2 for Dry Reforming of Methane

Sintering and carbon deposition are the two main ways to deactivate Ni-based catalysts during methane reforming. Herein, a stable Ni-CeO2/SiO2(CSC) catalyst was prepared by a one-step colloidal solution combustion method (CSC) and used for dry reforming of methane. In the catalyst, the small Ni particles were confined by CeO2 particles and highly dispersed on the surface of SiO2, forming a spatial confinement structure with a rich Ni-CeO2 interface in the catalyst. The Ni-CeO2/SiO2(CSC) catalyst prepared by the one-step CSC method exhibited superior activity at 700 °C during dry reforming of methane, and the performance of the catalyst was stable after 20 h of reaction with only a small amount of carbon deposition present (1.8%). Due to the spatial confinement effect, Ni was stable and less than 5 nm during reaction. The small Ni particle size and rich Ni-CeO2 interface reduced the rate of carbon deposition. This colloidal combustion method could be applied to prepare stable metal-based catalysts with rich metal–oxide interfaces for high-temperature reactions.

Dry Reforming of Methane over CNT-Supported CeZrO2, Ni and Ni-CeZrO2 Catalysts

In this work, the carbon nanotubes (CNT)-supported nanosized, well-dispersed, CeZrO2 and Ni-CeZrO2 catalysts were obtained and tested for the first time in the reaction of methane dry reforming (DRM). The performance of the hybrid materials was compared with the performance of Ni/CNT catalyst. The mechanism of the DRM reaction and the occurrence of reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS) and CO2 deoxidation were discussed in terms of catalysts composition. The contribution of RWGS and CO2 deoxidation in the DRM process, demonstrating an increased CO2 consumption when compared to CH4, and H2/CO < 1, varied depending on the catalyst composition, was also studied.

Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Hybrid Nanostructures as High-Performance Catalysts for Methane Dry Reforming

Syngas, consisting of equimolar CO and H₂, is an important feedstock for large-scale production of a wide range of commodity chemicals including aldehyde, methanol, ammonia, and other oxygenated chemicals. Dry reforming of methane (DRM), proceeding by reacting greenhouse gases, CO₂ and CH₄, at high temperatures in the presence of a metal catalyst, is considered one of the most environmentally friendly routes for syngas production. Nevertheless, nonprecious metal-based catalysts, which can operate at relatively low temperatures for high product yields and selectivities, are required to drive the DRM process for industrial applications effectively. Here, we developed NiCo@C nanocomposites from a corresponding NiCo-based bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) to serve as high-performance catalysts for the DRM process, achieving high turnover frequencies (TOF) at low temperatures (>5.7 s^-1 at 600 °C) and high product selectivities (H₂/CO = 0.9 at 700 °C). The incorporation of Co in Ni catalysts improves the operation stability and light-off stability. The present development for MOF-derived nanocomposites opens a new horizon for design of DRM catalysts.

Ceria-Based Catalysts Studied by Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: A Review

The development of better catalysts is a passionate topic at the forefront of modern science, where operando techniques are necessary to identify the nature of the active sites. The surface of a solid catalyst is dynamic and dependent on the reaction environment and, therefore, the catalytic active sites may only be formed under specific reaction conditions and may not be stable either in air or under high vacuum conditions. The identification of the active sites and the understanding of their behaviour are essential information towards a rational catalyst design. One of the most powerful operando techniques for the study of active sites is near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS), which is particularly sensitive to the surface and sub-surface of solids. Here we review the use of NAP-XPS for the study of ceria-based catalysts, widely used in a large number of industrial processes due to their excellent oxygen storage capacity and well-established redox properties.

CeO2-x quantum dots with massive oxygen vacancies as efficient catalysts for the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate

CeO2-x quantum dots with massive oxygen vacancies are obtained by a one-step single molecular synthesis strategy. The yield of dimethyl carbonate from CO2 and methanol is more than 5 times that for commercial CeO2 nanoparticles.

Studies of CO2 hydrogenation over cobalt/ceria catalysts with in situ characterization: the effect of cobalt loading and metal–support interactions on the catalytic activity

Metal–oxide interactions affect the catalytic properties of Co/CeO₂ and can be used to control activity and selectivity.