Effect of NiO Composition on the Structural and Morphological Properties of NiO-YSZ and NiO-SDC Particles Synthesized via the Impregnation Route

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are major greenhouse gases, and their increasing emissions contribute significantly to global warming. Dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers a promising route to mitigate these emissions by simultaneously utilizing both CO2 and CH4 and converting them into syngas, a valuable intermediate for producing fuels and chemicals. Nickel-based catalysts are widely used in DRM due to their high activity and cost-effectiveness. However, their performance depends strongly on metal loading and support properties. This study aims to investigate the effect of different NiO loadings (40, 50, and 60 wt%) on the structural and morphological characteristics of NiO-YSZ and NiO-SDC catalysts synthesized via the impregnation method. In this method, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and samarium-doped ceria (SDC) powders were dispersed into a nickel precursor solution to form supported catalysts, which were then characterized to evaluate their structural integrity, crystallinity, and surface morphology. The results showed that higher NiO loadings generally improved the structural and morphological features, with NiO-SDC demonstrating better characteristics than NiO-YSZ. These findings provide essential insights that will guide future work on fabricating membranes using these catalysts for the CO2-CH4 dry reforming process.