Evolution of amorphous ruthenium nanoclusters into stepped truncated nano-pyramids on graphitic surfaces boosts hydrogen production from ammonia
Yifan Chen, Ben Young, G. N. Aliev, Apostolos Kordatos, Ilya Popov, Sadegh Ghaderzadeh, Thomas Liddy, William J. Cull, Emerson C. Kohlrausch, Andreas Weilhard, Graham J. Hutchings, Elena Besley, Wolfgang Theis, Jesum Alves Fernandes, Andrei N. Khlobystov
Abstract
even after 12 hours of the reaction, indicating their high stability and explaining ruthenium's superior activity on nanotextured graphitic carbon compared to other support materials. The structural evolution of nanometer-sized metal clusters with a large fraction of surface atoms is qualitatively different from traditional several-nm nanoparticles, where surface atoms are a minority, and it offers a blueprint for the design of active and sustainable catalysts necessary for hydrogen production from ammonia, which is becoming one of the critical reactions for net-zero technologies.