Driving CO₂ Methanation with Non-Thermal Plasma
- Daniel Anton
- Jul 7
- 1 min read
The POWER CO₂ Days! | September 7–9, 2026 | Lyon, France
Day 1: Next frontier C3+
We are proud to welcome Catherine Batiot-Dupeyrat (UMR CNRS 7285 – IC2MP, Université de Poitiers) who will present her team's latest research: "Investigation of the Ni–Ce–Zr Synergy for Efficient CO₂ Methanation under Non-Thermal Plasma." (Co-authored with Nathan Cordier and Elodie Fourré)
About the Research: In the push for efficient CO₂ conversion, the team synthesized Ni-based catalysts supported on CeO₂ and CeₓZr₁₋ₓO₂ to investigate how Ni loading, preparation methods, and support composition impact performance.
They found that using a sol–gel route promotes the formation of highly defective Ni–Ce–O solid solutions. Furthermore, incorporating Zr enhances Ni dispersion, boosts oxygen vacancy concentration, and strengthens metal–support interactions. Advanced characterization showed that ceria-rich supports effectively stabilize Ni²⁺ species through reversible Ni²⁺/Ni⁰ and Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ redox couples.
The results are highly promising: while Ni/ZrO₂ exhibited poor performance, all ceria-containing catalysts achieved nearly complete CH₄ selectivity. The standout catalyst—15 wt.% Ni@Ce₀.₇₅Zr₀.₂₅O₂ prepared via the sol–gel method—showed exceptional activity at low plasma power, reaching CH₄ yields of 92% at 7 W and 89% at 3 W.
Overall, this work highlights that unlocking excellent plasma-catalytic performance relies heavily on optimizing oxygen vacancies and stabilizing oxidized Ni species.
We look forward to an inspiring session on the synergy of plasma and catalysis!
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