Industrial-scale nanocrystalline Ni-Mo-MgO catalysts for hybrid reforming of waste to fuels.

Kim, Seok-Jin; Maligal-Ganesh, Raghu V; Mahmood, Javeed; Kang, Phil Woong; Harale, Aadesh; AlSuhaibani, Abdulrahman S; Hu, Qingyuan; Alahmed, Ammar H et al. · Science · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Strategies for lowering carbon emissions from hydrocarbons and waste must overcome the challenges related to catalyst durability and the presorting of waste. Reforming low-value carbon sources with carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) offers an industrial-scale pathway for recycling waste streams into fuels and chemicals. We developed a nickel-molybdenum alloy nanocatalyst on single-crystalline magnesium oxide (NiMoCat) in pellet form on a kilogram scale suitable for high-pressure industrial reactors. Aliphatic hydrocarbons (methane, <i>n</i>-butane) and aromatics (benzene, toluene) under pressurized CO<sub>2</sub> yielded quantitative syngas without methanation or undesired oxidative by-products, such as butadiene or polyaromatics. Scaled-up NiMoCat maintains activity during long-term operation and enables a two-step process involving gasification of unsorted waste followed by hybrid reforming under realistic flue gas or CO<sub>2</sub> flow. A detailed life-cycle analysis of biogas-to-dimethyl ether conversion showcases a scalable, sustainable CO<sub>2</sub> utilization compatible with current fuel and chemical infrastructures.