In situ generation of active motifs on Ni/Al 2 O 3 during partial oxidation of methane to syngas

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 14 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01580-1 The partial oxidation of methane to syngas on Ni is commonly attributed to its metallic phase. Now, by combining in situ spectroscopy and microscopy, as well as density functional theory calculations, specific Ni–O motifs are identified as the active sites on Ni/Al2O3.