Construction of robust Ni-based catalysts for low-temperature Sabatier reaction

Abstract

CO₂ hydrogenation to methane, namely, CO₂ methanation or Sabatier reaction, is a significant approach to convert CO₂ and H₂ to storable and transportable CH₄. Low reaction temperature is the key to industrialization and has attracted plenty of research interest. Ni-based catalysts are commonly utilized owing to their favorable properties of excellent activity and economical price. However, it is still challenging to perform the Sabatier reaction under temperatures lower than 300 °C owing to the inertness of CO₂. Hence, in this article, we summarize the advances of four important design principles of the Ni-based catalysts for low-temperature Sabatier reaction, namely, optimizing Ni active sites, tuning support properties, considering metal–support interactions, and choosing a suitable preparation method, which provides deep insights for the design of low-temperature CO₂ methanation catalysts. Additionally, typical low-temperature CO₂ methanation reaction mechanisms with *CO or *HCOO as the main intermediate and perspectives on this topic have been provided. We highlight that the rare-earth oxide-supported Ni-based catalysts with the potential reaction mechanism and corresponding reactor design would be promising for low-temperature Sabatier reaction.