Harnessing mechanical force for greenhouse gas conversion: A mini-review on mechanochemistry in the dry reforming of methane
Saad, Abdulwahab Alao, Kehinde Temitope Bello, Idris Temitope Olarinoye, Fawziyah Oyefunke Hamzat, Abdulhammed K.
Saad, Abdulwahab
Alao, Kehinde Temitope
Bello, Idris Temitope
Olarinoye, Fawziyah Oyefunke
Hamzat, Abdulhammed K.
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Location
Time Period
Advisors
Original Date
Digitization Date
Issue Date
2025-11-21
Type
Review
Genre
Keywords
Catalysis synthesis,Coking,Dry reforming of methane,Greenhouse gas conversion,Mechanochemistry,Syngas
Subjects (LCSH)
Citation
Saad, A., Alao, K. T., Bello, I. T., Olarinoye, F. O., & Hamzat, A. K. (2025). Harnessing Mechanical Force for Greenhouse Gas Conversion: A Mini-Review on Mechanochemistry in the Dry Reforming of Methane. Fuels, 6(4), 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/fuels6040086
Abstract
Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is a promising method for turning two major greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4, into syngas (H2 + CO). This syngas has the right H2/CO ratio for making valuable chemicals and liquid fuels. However, there are significant challenges that make it tough to implement commercially. One big issue is that the process requires a lot of energy because it is highly endothermic, needing temperatures over 700 °C. This high heat can quickly deactivate the catalyst due to carbon build-up (coking) and the thermal sintering of metal nanoparticles. Researchers increasingly recognize mechanochemistry—a non-thermal, solid-state technique employing mechanical force to drive chemical transformations—as a sustainable, solvent-free strategy to address these DRM challenges. This mini-review critically assesses the dual role of mechanochemistry in advancing DRM. First, we examine its established role in creating advanced catalysts at lower temperatures. Here, mechanochemical methods help produce well-dispersed nanoparticles, enhance strong interactions between metal and support, and develop bimetallic alloys that resist coke formation and show great stability. Second, we delve into the exciting possibility of using mechanochemistry to directly engage in the DRM reaction at near-ambient temperatures, which marks a major shift from traditional thermocatalysis. Lastly, we discuss the key challenges ahead, like scalability and understanding the mechanisms involved, while also outlining future directions for research to fully harness mechanochemistry for converting greenhouse gases sustainably. © 2025 by the authors.
Table of Contents
Description
This is an open access article under the CC BY license.
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Journal
Fuels
Book Title
Series
Digital Collection
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Archival Collection
PubMed ID
ISSN
26733994