Nanosheet(S)andnanoplate(P)γ-Al2O3weresynthesizedbysimplehydrothermalmethodsandemployedassupportsforNicatalystsinCO2methanation.BothofthenanostructuredNi/Al2O3catalystsdisplayedgoodactivity.Incomparison,theNi/Al2O3-ScatalystshowedhigherCO2conversionthantheNi/Al2O3-Pcounterpartatthereactiontemperaturerangingfrom250to400°C.ThephysicalandchemicalpropertiesofthecatalystsweresystematicallycharacterizedbyN2sorption,X-raydiffraction(XRD),highresolution-transmissionelectronmicroscopy(HR-TEM),hydrogentemperature-programmedreduction(H2-TPR)andCO2temperature-programmeddesorption(CO2-TPD)techniques.Higherspecificsurfaceareaandstrongermetal-supportinteractionswereconfirmedontheNi/Al2O3-Scatalyst,whichmayleadtosmallerparticlesizeofNinanoparticles.Moreover,theNi/Al2O3-Scatalystpossessedmoreabundantweakandmediumbasicsites,whichwouldbenefittheactivationofCO2.ThesmallerNisizeandmoresuitablebasicsitesmayrationalizethesuperioractivityoftheNi/Al2O3-Scatalyst.Besides,theNi/Al2O3-Scatalystexhibitedexcellentstabilityat325°Cfor40h.
