Critical upstream technologies for hydrogen energy industry: Research progress on ammonia decomposition catalysts

As more and more fuel cell vehicles are being developed and used, the production, storage, transportation, and utilization of hydrogen have become hot topics in the international community. This paper reviews one of the key technologies in the field of hydrogen energy storage, the ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production. Hydrogen energy storage is an important technology for achieving the sustainable development of clean energy. The ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production is a potential and efficient pathway to generate hydrogen by decomposing ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. The key to this hydrogen production approach lies in the development and utilization of ammonia decomposition catalysts. This paper focuses on the analysis of metal catalysts (such as Ru-based, Ni-based, Co-based, and Fe-based), bimetallic catalysts, as well as carbide/nitride catalysts used in ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production. The research methods of hydrogen production catalysts are systematically analyzed and summarized. The performance and advantages of different catalysts are highlighted, and the catalytic mechanisms of ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production are comprehensively analyzed and summarized. At the same time, the current technical barriers in ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production and the challenges facing hydrogen energy storage are pointed out. In response to these challenges, the ongoing technical research and development efforts are discussed. Overall, the ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production technology holds great promise in the field of hydrogen energy storage, but further research and improvement are still needed to promote its application in the clean energy transition. With the continuous development of technology, it is believed that ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production will make significant contributions to the sustainable development of clean energy.