Photothermal Dry Reforming of Methane: A Comprehensive Review of Synergistic Interactions among Thermal, Photonic, Catalytic, and Reactor Engineering with Their Techno-Economic Aspects
Kamran Kamran, Muhammad Tahir
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Carbon dioxide and methane are major greenhouse gases, and their reduction is crucial for sustainability. Photocatalytic (PC) and thermal catalytic (TC) dry reforming of methane (DRM) have been widely studied, with commercial TC being commercially available. However, PC faces challenges like poor selectivity and limited solar spectrum use, while TC suffers from coke deposition and sintering at high temperatures. Photothermal catalysis (PTHC) combines the strengths of PC and TC, lowering operational costs, enhancing catalytic activity, and improving selectivity and product quality by maintaining low-to-medium temperatures. PTHC leverages light-induced thermal catalysis and thermal-assisted photocatalysis to address the limitations of PC and TC. Despite its potential, understanding the roles of light and heat in PTHC-DRM remains complex, with limited studies due to the interplay of photo- and thermal catalysis. While photocatalysis is efficient, it lacks selectivity, and thermal catalysis ensures selectivity but faces coke deposition. Integrating both in PTHC-DRM shows promising efficiency improvements. This review critically examines the synergistic roles of light and heat in PTHC-DRM, focusing on reactor and catalyst engineering and their techno-economic evaluation. Various parameters influence the performance of PTHC-DM, including the effects of light, internal and external temperature variations driven by light and heat, and the impact of catalyst structure and depth on light transfer. Additionally, the reactor geometry and arrangement play a critical role in optimizing light and heat transfer. This review also includes a techno-economic evaluation of photothermal catalytic reactors for dry reforming of methane, providing insights into the commercial feasibility and potential for scaling up this technology.