The potential of glycerine as a fuel in the synthesis of highly active nickel-based perovskites for ammonia decomposition

Abstract

The development of non-noble metal perovskites as catalytic precursors for ammonia decomposition presents a promising route for sustainable hydrogen production. In this work, the influence of the organic fuel (citric acid, urea, glycerine, and oxalic acid) used to synthesize a non-conventional La0.1Mg0.9NiO3 perovskite by the self-combustion method was systematically investigated. Comprehensive structural, morphological, and textural characterization was conducted to establish correlations with the catalytic activity in the ammonia decomposition reaction. Among the evaluated fuels, glycerine yielded a highly porous nickel-based perovskite with enhanced surface area, well-dispersed Ni0 crystallites of optimal size, and favourable reducibility and basicity. Consequently, this material reached 84.1 % ammonia conversion at 350 °C, approaching the performance of Ru-based systems. It also exhibited excellent thermal stability underscoring its potential as a robust catalyst for ammonia decomposition. Therefore, the use of glycerine, a low-cost and widely available industrial by-product, enhances the economic and environmental sustainability of the synthesis process. These findings provide valuable insights into the rational design of highly active, efficient, and stable nickel-based perovskites as catalytic precursors for scalable hydrogen generation from ammonia decomposition