Sustainable syngas production by photothermal dry reforming of bio-ethanol over a Ni/Mn0.1Ce0.9O2 catalyst

Abstract

Syngas production via the dry reforming of ethanol (EDR) offers a sustainable pathway for carbon capture and bio-energy valorization, yet traditional thermal catalysis is plagued by severe coking and metal sintering. In this study, a Ni/Mn 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2 catalyst was designed to harness photothermal synergistic effects for efficient EDR. Characterization results reveal that the Ni modification and Mn doping successfully narrow the optical bandgap to 2.96 eV and enrich the surface with oxygen vacancies, facilitating robust visible-light harvesting and hot carrier generation. Under photothermal conditions at 500 °C, the Ni/Mn 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2 catalyst achieved a near-complete ethanol conversion of 96.6% and exhibited exceptional 50 h stability. Kinetic analysis demonstrates a profound reduction in the apparent activation energy from 51 kJ/mol to 13 kJ/mol under light irradiation. This enhancement is attributed to the spatiotemporal coupling between localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-induced electronic excitation and an accelerated lattice oxygen flux, which functions as a photo-driven oxygen pump to gasify carbonaceous precursors. This work provides a potent strategy for process intensification in renewable hydrogen production through non-thermal activation pathways.