Ruthenium supported on nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon as highly active catalyst for NH3 decomposition to H2

Nitrogen doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC) with well-defined crystal planes was synthesized by a one-pot aqueous cooperative assembly route. Structural and morphological analysis of the samples showed the typical ordered mesoporous structure of the carbon. Ruthenium was anchored by impregnation with ruthenium trichloride, followed by a reduction in H2 flow at 773 K. The HRTEM analysis of the samples showed a more homogeneous dispersion of Ru particles on NOMC than on that of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC). The catalytic performance of prepared catalysts for ammonia decomposition was evaluated in a fixed bed reactor under atmospheric pressure. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the ruthenium supported on NOMC had higher reactivity than its counterparts on OMC, activated carbon (AC) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in ammonia decomposition. The results indicated that nitrogen doped on OMC favored the improvement of active sites and greatly promotion of hydrogen produced from catalyst surface.