CeO₂–Ni@SiO₂ Catalyst with Shell-Mediated Diffusion in the Ni Membrane Reactor for Model Biomass-Derived Syngas Conversion

In this study, an integrated catalytic membrane design was developed, in which a CeO₂–Ni@SiO₂ core–shell catalyst was incorporated into a dense H₂-separating Ni membrane for the conversion of CH₄ and CO₂ in model biomass-derived syngas.

The tailoring of the fine SiO₂ shell not only improved the reducibility and accessibility of Ni active species but also mediated the mesoporous diffusion channel for controlled transport of gaseous reactants. Coupled with in situ H₂ removal through the Ni membrane, the core–shell catalyst achieved CH₄ and CO₂ conversions of 91.6% and 52.8% at 750 °C, respectively, corresponding to increases of more than 50% and 25% compared with the fixed-bed counterpart.