Catalytic role of carbons in methane decomposition for CO- and CO2-free hydrogen generation

Decomposition of methane is an environmentally attractive approach to CO- and CO2-free hydrogen production. Using first principles calculations at the density functional theory level, our studies demonstrate that the defective carbons can be used as catalysts for methane decomposition, without the need for other catalysts, such as transition metals or oxides, and the catalytic sites can be regenerated by the deposition of carbon decomposed from methane, to make the hydrogen production a continuous process. Additionally, since no other gases are produced in the process, the cost of CO2 sequestration and hydrogen purification from CO contamination will be dramatically reduced. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.