The dry reforming of methane (DRM) is one method by which carbon dioxide and methane can be utilized for value-added products. DRM results in the formation of syngas, which is a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Syngas, in turn, can be used for energy or as a precursor for the production of liquid fuels, such as methanol. While the required energy input for the DRM reaction is quite high, the utilization of methane and carbon dioxide is enticing for environmental benefit.

Supported nickel (Ni)-based catalysts are often researched as DRM catalysts because they are active and less expensive than precious-metal-based catalysts. A major hurdle to DRM, however, is the deactivation of the catalysts due to carbon build-up during the reaction. The structure of the catalyst support material and its interaction with the active metal is thought to reduce coke deposition and catalyst deactivation during the DRM reaction.

In this study, novel polymer-inspired catalysts for DRM were prepared by pyrolyzing Ni-containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The pyrolyzed catalysts were found to be largely microporous Ni-based silica-supported catalysts, and the active nickel particles were nano-sized but did not disperse evenly in or on the catalysts. Even so, the catalysts demonstrated significant activity in the DRM reaction and had comparable performance to other catalysts reported in the published literature. The catalyst prepared with nominally 10 wt% Ni in PDMS (before calcination) displayed the highest methane conversion and lowest degradation of performance of the catalysts in this study. This research was successful in exploring polymer-inspired catalysts as novel catalysts for the DRM reaction.