Essential Role of the Support for Nickel-Based CO2 Methanation Catalysts

The carbon dioxide (CO2) methanation reaction not only provides a solution for mitigating the excessive carbon dioxide emissions but also can potentially be employed for the storage and transportation of low-grade energies. A supported nickel-based catalyst is the most promising candidate for the CO2 methanation reaction. Additionally, understanding the role of the support is essential for the rational design of nickel-based CO2 methanation catalysts. Herein, we elaborated on the effect of the support on the catalyst structure, CO2 adsorption, CO2 activation, methanation mechanism, and deactivation process. Future directions are suggested to elucidate the fundamental aspects of this catalytic system, including the formation mechanism of preferentially exposed facets, the nature of strong metal–support interactions, the balance between support reducibility and basicity, and the CO2 methanation pathways over nickel-based catalysts with various supports.