Heterogeneous catalytic reactions are essential for future CO₂-based process routes, but are, however, sensitive to dynamic perturbations. To incorporate these processes into existing production networks, increased flexibility under different operating loads is necessary. One prominent example of a CO₂-based process is methanation using H₂ as a basis of the Power-to-X production concept. However, this reaction is strongly exothermic creating a major bottleneck for dynamic operation due to the limited thermal resistance of the catalyst. Based on a detailed mathematical reactor model at the industrial-scale, we found that stabilizing control is a very promising yet unexploited heat management approach. We applied stabilizing control to moderate the reactive zone (hot spot) via adaptive coolant temperature variations and compared its performance to other well-established approaches such as intensified and recycle reactors. In this way, we attained unconventional operating points in regions of steady-state multiplicity that offer reduced catalyst temperatures (<500 °C) while maintaining elevated reactor performance. When considering these additional operating points, a broader and more flexible operation of industrial reactors becomes feasible. Systematic sensitivity studies regarding relevant reactor and operating parameters indicate that a robust technical implementation of these operating points is possible.

CO₂ methanation is often performed on Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts, which can suffer from mass transport limitations and, therefore, decreased efficiency. Here we show the application of a hierarchically porous Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst for methanation of CO₂. The material has a well-defined and connected meso- and macropore structure with a total porosity of 78%. The pore structure was thoroughly studied with conventional methods, i.e., N₂ sorption, Hg porosimetry, and He pycnometry, and advanced imaging techniques, i.e., electron tomography and ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. Tomography can quantify the pore system in a manner that is not possible using conventional porosimetry. Macrokinetic simulations were performed based on the measures obtained by porosity analysis. These show the potential benefit of enhanced mass-transfer properties of the hierarchical pore system compared to a pure mesoporous catalyst at industrially relevant conditions. Besides the investigation of the pore system, the catalyst was studied by Rietveld refinement, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV/vis) spectroscopy, and H₂-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), showing a high reduction temperature required for activation due to structural incorporation of Ni into the transition alumina. The reduced hierarchically porous Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst is highly active in CO₂ methanation, showing comparable conversion and selectivity for CH₄ to an industrial reference catalyst.

There is considerable motivation in the catalysis community and chemical industry to envision a future where rational catalyst design and targeted chemical process optimization become standard. Achieving this goal for heterogeneous catalysis requires a cultural shift centered around effective research data management. The core elements of modern catalysis research are synthesis, characterization, and testing, while all can be elevated by effective collection, correlation, interoperation, and exploitation of data between disciplines and stakeholders. Here, first steps are made towards a holistic picture of an industrial Ni/Al₂O₃ reference catalyst for CO₂ methanation. A range of conventional and advanced characterization tools are applied to probe metal particle size and pore characteristics of the support, selected as crucial parameters for catalyst performance. Challenges are shown with respect to current reporting of characterization data and metadata, which ultimately influences the development and reliability of digital twins in catalysis research. Furthermore, the cooperation and combined expertise of diverse research groups from different fields is recognized as essential to deliver meaningful progress towards the digital future of catalysis research.