Dry Reforming of Methane Using Gd-promoted Ni/SBA-16 Catalyst: Structure, Activity and Process Optimization with Response Surface Methodology

Journal article


Al-Zahrani, Salma A., Alotibi, Mohammed F., Osman, Ahmed I., Bhran, A., Alreshidi, M., Al Otaibi, Ahmed, Al-Enazy, Hessah Difallah A., Alsaif, N. and Al-Fatesh, A. 2025. Dry Reforming of Methane Using Gd-promoted Ni/SBA-16 Catalyst: Structure, Activity and Process Optimization with Response Surface Methodology. Nanomaterials. 15 (19), p. 1527. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15191527
AuthorsAl-Zahrani, Salma A., Alotibi, Mohammed F., Osman, Ahmed I., Bhran, A., Alreshidi, M., Al Otaibi, Ahmed, Al-Enazy, Hessah Difallah A., Alsaif, N. and Al-Fatesh, A.
AbstractThis work examines the effect of gadolinium (Gd) promotion on nickel-based SBA-16 catalysts for the dry reforming of methane (DRM), with the goal of improving syngas production by optimizing catalyst composition and operating conditions. Catalysts with varying Gd loadings (0.5–3 wt.%) were synthesised using co-impregnation. XRD, N2 physisorption, FTIR, XPS, and H2-TPR–CO2-TPD–H2-TPR were used to examine the structural features, textural properties, surface composition, and redox behaviour of the catalysts. XPS indicated formation of enhanced metal–support interactions, while initial and post-treatment H2–TPR analyses showed that moderate Gd loadings (1–2 wt.%) maintained a balanced distribution of reducible Ni species. The catalysts were tested for DRM performance at 800 °C and a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 42,000 mL g−1 h−1. 1–2 wt.% Gd-promoted catalysts achieved the highest H2 (~67%) and CO yield (~76%). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to identify optimal reaction conditions for maximum H2 yield. RSM predicted 848.9 °C temperature, 31,283 mL g−1 h−1 GHSV, and a CH4/CO2 ratio of 0.61 as optimal, predicting a H2 yield of 96.64%, which closely matched the experimental value of H2 yield (96.66%). The 5Ni–2Gd/SBA-16 catalyst exhibited minimal coke deposition, primarily of a graphitic character, as evidenced by TGA–DSC and Raman analyses. These results demonstrate the synergy between catalyst design and process optimization in maximizing DRM efficiency.
Keywordshydrogen production; catalyst optimization; Ni/SBA-16 catalyst; response surface methodology (RSM); gadolinium promoter; dry reforming of methane
Year2025
JournalNanomaterials
Journal citation15 (19), p. 1527
PublisherMDPI AG
ISSN2079-4991
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15191527
Official URLhttps://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/19/1527
FunderScientific Research Deanship at the University of Ha’il—Saudi Arabia
Publication dates
Online06 Oct 2025
Publication process dates
Deposited15 Oct 2025
Accepted03 Oct 2025
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Open
Output statusPublished
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Publications router: Date 2025-10-06 of type 'publication_date' with format 'electronic' included in notification
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Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
EditorsPang, Weiqiang, Trache, Djalal and Zhang, Kaili
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