Synthesis and methane cracking activity of a silicon nitride supported vanadium nitride nanoparticle composite

Vanadium nitride–silicon nitride nanocomposites from triflate-catalysed co-ammonolysis are active for CO_x-free H₂ production from methane.

Ammonia Decomposition with Manganese Nitride-Calcium Imide Composites as Efficient Catalysts

Ammonia has high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities and is, therefore, considered a promising carrier for the production of COx -free molecular H2 for forthcoming energy systems. Alkaline earth metals are generally regarded as structural promoters of catalysts and employed in numerous catalytic processes. Here, we report that calcium imide (CaNH) has a strong synergistic effect on Mn6 N5 in catalyzing the decomposition of NH3 , leading to a ca. 40 % drop in apparent activation energy. At 773 K, the H2 formation rate over a Mn6 N5 -11CaNH composite catalyst is about an order of magnitude higher than that of Mn6 N5 and comparable to the highly active Ni/SBA-15 and Ru/Al2 O3 catalysts. Analysis by means of temperature-programmed decomposition (TPD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) reveal that CaNH participates in the catalysis via forming a [Ca6 MnN5 ]-like intermediate, thus altering the reaction pathway and energetics. A two-step catalytic cycle, accounting for the synergy between CaNH and Mn6 N5 , is proposed.

Hydrolysis of ammonia borane as a hydrogen source: fundamental issues and potential solutions towards implementation

In today's era of energy crisis and global warming, hydrogen has been projected as a sustainable alternative to depleting CO(2)-emitting fossil fuels. However, its deployment as an energy source is impeded by many issues, one of the most important being storage. Chemical hydrogen storage materials, in particular B-N compounds such as ammonia borane, with a potential storage capacity of 19.6 wt % H(2) and 0.145 kg(H2)L(-1), have been intensively studied from the standpoint of addressing the storage issues. Ammonia borane undergoes dehydrogenation through hydrolysis at room temperature in the presence of a catalyst, but its practical implementation is hindered by several problems affecting all of the chemical compounds in the reaction scheme, including ammonia borane, water, borate byproducts, and hydrogen. In this Minireview, we exhaustively survey the state of the art, discuss the fundamental problems, and, where applicable, propose solutions with the prospect of technological applications.