CeO2-Modified Ru/Al2O3 Catalyst for High-Performance Ammonia Decomposition and COx-Free Hydrogen Production

Developing high-performance ammonia decomposition catalysts for COx-free hydrogen production is of great practical significance. In this work, CeO2 is utilized as a promoter to enhance the catalytic activity of Ru/Al2O3 catalysts by modulating the metal-support interaction. A series of 1Ru/xCe-10Al (x = 0.5, 1, or 3) catalysts were synthesized via a facile colloidal deposition method. The optimized 1Ru/1Ce-10Al catalyst exhibits outstanding activity for ammonia decomposition, achieving a high hydrogen yield of 7097 mmolH2/(gRuﾷmin) at 450 ﾰC. Characterization results confirm that Ru species are highly dispersed on the support surface as stable small clusters (~1.3 nm). The enhanced catalytic performance is attributed to the strong interaction between Ru species and partially reduced CeO2-x, which increases the electron density of Ru species and promotes nitrogen desorption. This study provides a promising strategy for developing high-efficiency ammonia decomposition catalysts modified by CeO2 for clean hydrogen production.