Activation of CH4, CO2 and their reactions over Co catalyst studied using a pulsed-flow micro-reactor

Pulse reaction showed that Co/Al2O3 catalyst was active for the high-temperature decomposition of CH4 and CO2. CH4 mainly was completely decomposed to give surface carbon, which could be inactivated quickly in the absence of enough O(ad) (arising from dissociation of CO2). CO2 was dissociatively adsorbed on Co(0) sites to give CO(ad) and O(ad), which was a slow step. Further decomposition of CO(ad) happened in the case of CO2 decomposition.