Dry Reforming of Methane on Low‐Loading Rh Catalysts

Abstract Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a promising catalytic process for converting greenhouse gases (CH 4 and CO 2 ) into syngas (CO and H 2 ). This study investigates DRM under moderate conditions (550 °C) using supported low‐loading (0.05 wt%) metal (M) catalysts (M = Rh, Ru, Pt, Pd, Ir, Au, and Ni). The reaction was carried out for 6 h with a flow rate of 30 mL/min for both CH 4 and CO 2 , using 0.10 g of catalyst. Among these catalysts, 0.05 wt% Rh/Al 2 O 3 exhibited the highest DRM activity. The effect of catalyst supports revealed that Al 2 O 3 is the most effective support for 0.05 wt% Rh. The DRM activity of Rh species supported on Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 was compared, and the Rh species on Al 2 O 3 outperformed those on SiO 2 , indicating Al 2 O 3 enhances the DRM activity of Rh. When comparing the DRM activity of Rh nanoparticles and Rh single atoms, it was suggested that Rh nanoparticles might exhibit superior performance for DRM. Coke deposited on 0.05 wt% Rh/Al 2 O 3 is removed by CO 2 , maintaining stable catalytic activity. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of catalysts that minimize the use of noble metals in DRM reactions.