Mechanism of catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas on nickel catalyst

Pulse reaction and MS-TPSR (temperature programmed surface reaction, equipped with on line mass spectroscopy) techniques were employed to study the methanism of catalytic partial oxidation oft methane to syngas over nickel catalysts. The deep oxidation of methane by lattice oxygen species to CO2 and H2O took place on NiO/Al2O3 catalysts, while on metallic nickel catalysts Ni-0/Al2O3 methane activation followed the pyrolysis mechanism to produce H-2 and surface carbon species Ni ... C. The mechanism for methane: partial oxidation should follow the direct oxidation route, Both methane and oxygen are activated on metallic nickel sites to form active surface species of Ni ... C and Nidelta+... Odelta-. H-2 and CO are the primary products directly formed by the reaction of Ni ... C with Nidelta+... Odelta-.