Preparing a Silica-Supported Catalyst for Methane Pyrolysis with Hydrogen and Carbon Nanofiber Products

Hydrogen is a key component for many essential chemicals, including ammonia. Hydrogen demand is expected to grow rapidly, up to 2.3 Gt annually by 2050¹ , yet industrially hydrogen is primary produced through steam methane reforming (SMR), generating approximately 9 kg CO₂/ kg of H ₂.² Alternative sustainable and economically viable pathways for hydrogen production are needed. This poster will communicate progress from a collaborative project which aims to generate hydrogen and carbon nanoproduct (CNP) via catalytic methane pyrolysis.

In this research, the catalyst is formed via particle atomic layer deposition (ALD) of a metal nanoparticle (NP) such as nickel or iron onto a silica support. To produce a silica supported Ni catalyst, ALD is performed in a fluidized bed reactor via two self-limiting half reactions which are alternated until the desired amount of Ni is deposited onto the support. The resulting Ni nanoparticles are then sintered to prepare the catalyst for carbon nanofiber growth during methane pyrolysis. The resulting CNP/silica product is then investigated as an additive in concrete by the Hubler group in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Various characterization methods are implemented, to include carbon combustion analysis, inductively coupled plasma optimal emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). These results will further aid in the development of a catalyst for methane pyrolysis resulting in hydrogen and carbon nanofiber products.