Ni–CeZr Solid-Solution Catalyst

Self-Cleaning Methane Decomposition

Zr doping generates oxygen vacancies acting as a kinetic pump, steering carbon from deactivating graphite shells into benign CNT tip-growth, enabling co-production of CO₂-free hydrogen and carbon nanotubes.

Weijie, Xu · Chen, Zhaoyang · Lirui, Sun · He, Chenliang · Zhang, Lidong

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2026

Specifications

Activity retention

{'zh': '86.8', 'en': '86.8'} %

Coke yield

{'zh': '35.36', 'en': '35.36'} wt%

Ni mechanical loss

{'zh': '13', 'en': '13'} wt%

Advantages

Coke-tolerant

Zr doping generates abundant oxygen vacancies acting as a kinetic pump, delivering a continuous lattice oxygen flux to the interface and steering carbon into benign tip-growth carbon nanotubes, preventing passivating graphite shell nucleation.

High activity retention

The catalyst retains 86.8% activity over 10 h despite a massive 35.36 wt% coke yield, demonstrating the self-cleaning effect under heavy carbon deposition.

Co-produce CNTs

By steering carbon into tip-growth carbon nanotubes, the catalyst simultaneously produces CO2-free hydrogen and carbon nanotubes, rather than merely suppressing coke.

Applications

• Methane Decomposition for Hydrogen：The catalyst sustains high activity in CDM, prolonging hydrogen production runs.
• Carbon Nanotube Production：Coke is directed into tip-growth CNTs, enabling valuable co-production.
• Coke-Resistant Catalysts：Oxygen-vacancy kinetic pump continuously removes interfacial carbon, resisting encapsulation.
• CO₂-Free Hydrogen：Methane decomposition yields CO2-free hydrogen directly, without downstream separation.