The effect of barium-promoted for microsphere Ru/CeO2 catalysts in ammonia synthesis

In this essay, the effect of the morphology of the CeO2 support and the Ba promoter on the ammonia synthesis reaction was studied. CeO2 support with {110} and {100} crystal planes and more oxygen vacancies enhanced the catalytic activity of ammonia synthesis. The relatively uniform microspheres structure CeO2 support (CeO2-MS) with {110} and {100} crystal planes was synthesized. The structural functions of the as-synthesized CeO2 support for the Ru-based catalyst were investigated in the ammonia synthesis reaction. The results of catalytic performance showed that the catalytic activity of 2.5%Ru/CeO2-MS catalyst reached 8940 mu mol center dot g(-1)center dot h(-1) at 450 celcius, 3.8 MPa, H-2/N-2 = 3 (60 mL center dot min(-1)), which is higher nearly 2.5 times than the 2.5%Ru/CeO2-commercial (CeO2-C). And the catalytic activity of catalysts increased with the increase of reaction temperature. The activity of 6%Ba-2.5%Ru/CeO2-MS (24000 mu mol center dot g(-1)center dot h(-1)) catalyst increased about 268% than that of catalyst without addition of Ba. Their physical and chemical properties were characterized by XRD, BET, HRTEM, H-2-TPR, H-2-TPD, and XPS analyses. Our results indicate that the 2.5%Ru/CeO2-MS catalyst and catalysts involving promoters (Cs, K, and Ba) exhibit significant support-morphology-dependent catalytic activity for ammonia synthesis.