Determining structure-performance relationships for Ni-In/SiO2 catalysts during hydrogenation of CO2: operando SAXS/WAXS investigation

Recently we developed an approach to shift the selectivity of cheap Ni-based catalysts, typically used for methanation of CO2, from CH4 to CO by promotion with In. By varying the Ni/In ratio in a set of Ni-In/SiO2 catalysts, we found that intermetallic Ni-In nanoparticles display excellent activity for the reverse water-gas shift reaction with negligible CH4 formation. X-ray diffraction shows that reduction leads to the formation of Ni-In alloys, which are responsible for the increased activity and selectivity. To link the phase composition and morphology of these alloys to the catalytic performance, a set of operando SAXS/WAXS experiments is necessary. In these studies we will monitor the alloying caused by varying the reduction conditions and determine the relevance of the formed phases for the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. These insights will be instrumental for designing novel highly active and selective catalytic materials for CO2 hydrogenation.