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Catalytic Activity of CO2-Derived Transition Metal–Carbon Catalysts in Methane Pyrolysis

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Abstract

This study examined the catalytic activity and stability of transition metal@C (carbon) catalysts in methane pyrolysis for hydrogen and solid carbon production. The carbon support for the catalysts was sustainably synthesized using CO2 as the carbon source. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the presence of metallic phases in the as-calcined catalysts without requiring an additional H2 reduction step. The apparent activation energies of the catalysts were determined using Arrhenius plots, with Ni@C having the lowest value (71 kJ∙mol−1), followed by Co@C (89 kJ∙mol−1), Fe@C (100 kJ∙mol−1), and Cu@C (122 kJ∙mol−1). The carbon support exhibited an apparent activation energy of 150 kJ∙mol−1, indicating its superior catalytic performance compared with traditional carbon-based catalysts. The reaction order demonstrated first-order reactions, indicating that the rate-determining step is associated with the first C–H bond cleavage in methane. The Ni@C and Co@C catalysts demonstrated promising catalytic activity and stability for methane pyrolysis, with the formation of crystalline carbon and metal particle fragmentation playing crucial roles in enhancing their performance. However, the formation of carbide species contributed to the deactivation of Fe@C.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

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  1. Minbeom Lee and Jimin Lyu have been contributed equally for this.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-Ro, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea

    Minbeom Lee & Jae W. Lee

  2. Department of Future Energy Convergence, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-Ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul, 01811, Korea

    Jimin Lyu & Dohyung Kang

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  1. Minbeom Lee
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Lee, M., Lyu, J., Lee, J.W. et al. Catalytic Activity of CO2-Derived Transition Metal–Carbon Catalysts in Methane Pyrolysis. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 41, 1479–1490 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-024-00097-2

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