Ru nanoparticles embedded in Ru/SiO2@N-CS for boosting hydrogen production via ammonia decomposition with robust lifespan

Ammonia decomposition for onsite hydrogen production has been regarded as an important reaction which links to efficient hydrogen storage, transport and utilization. However, it still remains challenging to develop efficient catalysts with robust stability for ammonia decomposition. Herein, an integrated strategy was employed to synthesize Ru/SiO2@N-CS via wrapping a thin layer of N-doped carbon onto the SiO2 sphere, following the anchor of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) onto the support. The obtained Ru/SiO2@N-CS (Ru loading: 1 wt%) shows a promising performance for ammonia decomposition, reaching 94.5 % at 550 °C with a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30 000 mL gcat-1h−1. The combination of the SiO2 as the core prevents the degradation of N-doped carbon layers and then enhance the durability of the catalysts, remaining stable after 50 h at evaluated temperatures. Adequate characterizations were used to illustrate the effect of microchemical environment on ammonia decomposition activity of Ru/SiO2@N-CS catalyst under different calcination atmosphere and the correlation between structure and performance.