Catalytic decomposition of methane to produce hydrogen: A review

The increasing demands of hydrogen and the recent discovery of large reserves of methane have prompted the conversion of methane to hydrogen. The challenges raised by intensive CO2 emission from the traditional conversion of methane have provoked emission-free hydrogen production from methane. The catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) to produce hydrogen and advanced carbon hence comes into consideration due to the short process and environmental benignity. Although many researchers have made considerable progress in CDM research on the laboratory scale, CDM is still in its infancy in industrialization. The history of its development, fundamental mechanisms, and recent research progress in catalysts and catalytic systems are herein highlighted. The problems of catalytic interface degradation are reviewed, focusing on deactivation from coke deposition in the CDM process. The introduction of a liquid phase interface which can in-situ remove carbon products provides a new strategy for this process. Furthermore, the challenges and prospects for future research into novel CDM catalysts or catalyst systems are included. (C) 2020 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.