Transition-metal catalysts, such as nickel and cobalt, are widely used in industry to produce hydrogen and other useful compounds from natural gas. Researchers achieve this transformation through steam reforming, which is the process of heating methane with steam in the presence of the catalyst, thus producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Transition metals are known for their superior catalytic capabilities and researchers know that the most significant reactions occur at the surface of the catalysts. So far, the search for even better catalysts has been largely based on trial and error, and on the assumption that catalyzed reactions take place on step edges and other atomic defect sites of the metal crystals.
An international research team from Switzerland, Netherlands, and US has combined experiments using advanced infrared techniques with quantum theory to explore methane dissociation reactions in minute detail. For the first time, their research shows exactly where the most significant reactions occur on the catalyst’s surface. The researchers focused on platinum (Pt) as the catalyst to break down methane, but the model can be applied to other transition-metal catalysts, such as nickel.
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