Room-Temperature Direct Electrochemical Splitting of Liquid Ammonia Enables Onsite Hydrogen Production

The pursuit of safe and efficient hydrogen storage and transportation is crucial for a sustainable hydrogen economy. Ammonia, with its high hydrogen density and ease of liquefaction, is a promising carrier, but its decomposition into hydrogen typically requires high temperatures (400–700 °C). Electrochemical liquid ammonia decomposition (ELADH) offers a promising route for room-temperature, on-site hydrogen release with a low theoretical voltage. However, its development has been hampered by sluggish kinetics, poor catalyst stability, and corrosive reaction environments.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Jun-Min Yan from Jilin University and Prof. Hai-Xia Zhong from the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrated a highly efficient and stable ELADH system. Through density functional theory calculations, they identified Ru as a superior catalyst compared to Pt, Rh, and Ir, with the Ru (101) facet exhibiting a low energy barrier for N–H bond cleavage and optimal hydrogen adsorption. Guided by this, they synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Ru nanoparticle catalysts (Ru NPs-CN) via a two-step pyrolysis method.

The Ru NPs-CN catalyst, featuring predominantly exposed (101) facets and a porous structure, achieved outstanding performance in an optimized electrochemical system using a graphite plate anode and NH₄PF₆ electrolyte in liquid ammonia. It delivered a high current density of -910 mA cm^-2 at –1.47 V and a low overpotential of –1.01 V at -10 mA cm^-2, significantly outperforming Ru single-atom and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Crucially, the system maintained stable hydrogen evolution for over 100 hours in a two-electrode configuration, showcasing remarkable durability. This work provides a feasible strategy for mild-condition hydrogen production from ammonia and deepens the understanding of the electrochemical ammonia splitting process. The results were published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(25)64915-1).

About the journal

Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 17.7.

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