Electrifying Thermocatalysis under Harsh Conditions: Ammonia Decomposition and Water Splitting

In the face of urgent environmental challenges, the imperative to transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources is undeniable. An integral aspect of this shift lies in optimizing the efficient use of electricity. While electrifying every aspect is not feasible, energy storage in the form of chemical energy in various fuels and chemicals becomes crucial. To begin with, a crucial facet of electrifying the production of fuels and chemicals, known as Power-to-X, involves water splitting to generate hydrogen. The reaction of this hydrogen with CO, CO₂, or N₂ facilitates the production of synthetic fuels or chemicals, presenting a viable alternative to fossil-based resources.
In this study, electrified thermal water splitting and with ammonia decomposition has been studied using a resistive heating reactor setup. The reactor setup was developed using a conductive metal tube. The reactor is connected to a power supply that can deliver a current of 200A through two copper clamps. This enables the reactor to have a fast heating and cooling process. The reactor can be heated from room temperature to above 1200°C in just 65 seconds.
The reactor serves as a crucial component in two distinct research projects:
Electrified Thermal Water Splitting through Redox Cycling: Through cycling between reduction and oxidation of a metal: This project explores various metal candidates, including Fe/Pt/MgAl₂O₃, LiNO/Pt/MgAl₂O₃, and Ceria compounds, for the purpose of efficient water splitting. A brief review of state-of-the-art materials highlights the potential of Perovskites as promising candidates for further investigation. However, the requirement of high temperatures for achieving water splitting at a relevant rate presents a significant challenge for the materials used.
Ammonia Decomposition with a Ru-Free Catalyst: in this project, potential catalysts for ammonia decomposition were studied based on theoretical predictions, with a particular focus on the newly discovered spin-promotion effect. The spin-promotion effect enables the fine-tuning of intermediate binding strengths by manipulating the spin polarization of the catalytic surface. This effect, as demonstrated in recent studies on ammonia synthesis, can surpass traditional electrostatic doping. Computational predictions similarly indicated the efficacy of Ba-doped Co as a catalyst for ammonia decomposition. 
BaCo alloyed catalyst was investigated and it was found that using carbon as support increased the activity. The performance of BaCo/C outperforms the majority of existing  literature for Ru-free catalysts and its stability was confirmed for several days of operation.