Research on nickel-based catalysts for carbon dioxide methanation combined with literature measurement

Carbon dioxide reduction has become an important challenge as the world becomes increasingly concerned about carbon neutrality. The production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) from CO2 by means of a methanation reaction utilizing hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources is widely regarded as an efficient and promising carbon capture and utilization technology that is anticipated to result in carbon recycling. Because of the low cost, high activity, and high compatibility, nickel-based catalysts have become the preferred choice for low-temperature carbon dioxide methanation. For the first time, the Web of Science database was used to systematically summarize the research on nickel-based catalysts in the past 20 years (including circulation, research hotspots, development trends, etc.). China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy are the countries, institutions, and journals with the most publications. Methane, catalyst, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and nickel are the top five statistical keywords. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of CO2 methanation, as well as the effects of carriers and additives on the low temperature activity of CO2 methanation with nickel-based catalysts, were then investigated using the results of the bibliometric analysis. In conclusion, it is found that the main paths to study nickel-based catalysts are: reaction mechanism-material selection-reaction conditions and stability. The difficulty that restricts the further development of such catalysts is the poor sintering and oxidation resistance. This discovery paves the path for more research into nickel-based catalysts in the future, as well as gives other researchers a fresh perspective.