A review of recent progress on CO2 hydrogenation to methane by Ni-based catalysts supported on carbon materials

• Carbon supports (CNTs, graphene, activated carbon) enhance Ni dispersion and stability, improving CO2 methanation performance. • Surface oxygen groups and N-modification on carbon supports promote Ni dispersion and catalytic activity. • Metal additives (Ce, Zr, Ca) and Ni alloying enhance catalytic activity and selectivity for CH4. • The structure-function relationship between carbon supports and Ni active sites is critical for rational catalyst design.