Recent advances in the catalysis of steam reforming of methane (SRM)

Steam reforming of methane (SRM) is a necessary industrial process for converting methane (a greenhouse gas) to synthesis gas. The process requires a catalyst to achieve good conversion. Catalyst design for steam reforming has been ongoing for a long time, but exciting solutions have been recently proffered to many of the challenges related to catalyst deactivation. The review examines the recent literature on SRM and elucidates breakthroughs in catalyst design with a focus on the past half-decade. Noble metal catalyst has gained increasing interest above conventional Ni due to their superior deactivation suppression, but the cost challenges remain for the former. For these noble metals, it is important to explore supports besides γ-Al2O3 that are more reducible, as this has been shown to induce strong covalent metal-support interaction that is not associated with surface defects. In transitioning from laboratory research to industrial use, we expect new-generation catalysts to show good performance under relevant conditions (not often tested), such as resistance to sulfur poisoning and good heat transfer. In analyzing the literature and discussing recent progress, we made some observations and provided future outlook and insight into areas that may benefit researchers in the field.