Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Dry Reforming of Methane on a Rh/LaNiO₃ Catalyst through a Light-induced Metal-To-Metal Charge Transfer Process.

Abstract

As an energy-saving and green method, solar-driven dry reforming of methane (DRM) is expected to introduce new activation processes and prevent sintering and coking of the catalysts. However, it still lacks an efficient way to coordinate the regulation of activation of reactants and lattice oxygen migration. In this study, Rh/LaNiO₃ is designed as a highly efficient photothermal catalyst for solar-driven DRM, which performs production rates of 452.3 mmol h^-1  g_Rh ^-1 for H₂ and 527.6 mmol h^-1  g_Rh ^-1 for CO₂ under a light intensity of 1.5 W cm^-2 , with an excellent stability. Moreover, a remarkable light-to-chemical energy efficiency (LTCEE) of 10.72% is achieved under a light intensity of 3.5 W cm^-2 . The characterizations of surface electronic and chemical properties and theoretical analysis demonstrate that strong adsorption for CH₄ and CO₂ , light-induced metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) process and high oxygen mobility together bring Rh/LaNiO₃ excellent performance for solar-driven DRM.