Ammonia Decomposition over Alkali Metal (Li, K, Cs)-Promoted Bulk Mo2N Catalyst

Ammonia (NH3), which has a 17.7 wt% gravimetric hydrogen density, has been considered as a potential hydrogen storage material. This study looked at the thermocatalytic decomposi-tion of NH3 using a bulk Mo2N catalyst that was boosted by alkali metals (AM: 5 wt% Li, K, Cs). The K-Mo2N catalyst outperformed all other catalysts in this experiment in terms of catalytic perfor-mance. At 6000 h(-1 )GHSV, 100% conversion of NH3 was accomplished using the K-Mo2N, Cs-Mo2N, and Mo2N catalysts. However, when compared to other catalysts, K-Mo2N had the highest activity, or 80% NH3 conversion, at a lower temperature, or 550 degrees C. The catalytic activity exhibited the following trend for the rate of hydrogen production per unit surface area: K-Mo2N > Cs-Mo2N > Li-Mo2N > Mo2N. Up to 20 h of testing the K-Mo2N catalyst at 600 degrees C revealed no considerable deactivation.

Automated summary

This study investigated the thermocatalytic decomposition of NH3 using a bulk Mo2N catalyst boosted by alkali metals. The K-Mo2N catalyst showed the best catalytic performance, achieving 100% conversion of NH3 at 600 degrees C and 6000 h(-1) GHSV. Compared to other catalysts, K-Mo2N had the highest activity, with 80% NH3 conversion at a lower temperature of 550 degrees C.