Chinese scientists find a hidden atomic structure that unlocks methane

Scientists found that a tiny atomic structure that forms on nickel oxide during methane conversion is more effective than the metallic nickel long believed to drive the reaction. The discovery allowed a low-nickel catalyst to rival one containing 10 times more metal, potentially opening the door to cheaper and more efficient industrial catalysts. Chinese scientists find a hidden atomic structure that unlocks methane.

For years, scientists have assumed that metallic nickel (Ni) nanoparticles serve as the main active centers that drive this reaction. There has been an important unresolved question. The metallic Ni observed after a reaction may simply form when nickel oxide is reduced by syngas at high temperatures, rather than representing the species that actually performs the catalysis.

Nickel can change both its oxidation state and its atomic arrangement under the high-temperature redox conditions involved in POM. Until now, these changes have been difficult to track in detail, making it challenging to determine the true structure responsible for the reaction. A Hidden Active Structure Forms During the Reaction In a recent study published in Nature Catalysis, researchers found that highly active structures can form in situ when the surface of NiO reconstructs during POM.