Advances in Gaseous Ammonia Decomposition for Hydrogen Production: Catalysts and Emerging Pathways

Abstract

Ammonia (NH3) is a compelling carbon-free hydrogen carrier. Its catalytic decomposition to produce a hydrogen/nitrogen (H2/N2) gas stream is central to the “NH3-H2” clean energy cycle, provided that residual NH3 is removed to fuel-cell-grade purity downstream. This review integrates advances from the past five years across four major catalytic NH3 decomposition pathways, encompassing conventional thermocatalysis, plasma-catalytic, photo(thermal), and electrically driven catalysis, within a unified mechanistic and practical framework, distinguishing it from existing single-pathway reviews. Noble metal catalysts, particularly Ru-based systems, achieve superior low-temperature activity through support engineering, promoter effects, and active-site construction. However, our analysis reveals that non-noble metal (Fe, Co, Ni) catalysts and their alloys, nitrides, and carbides have made substantial progress, with certain Co-based and bimetallic systems approaching Ru-level performance via interfacial oxygen vacancy engineering and electronic structure modulation. Emerging non-thermal routes effectively overcome thermodynamic barriers, enabling operation at temperatures 200–300 °C below conventional thermal requirements, though each faces distinct challenges in energy efficiency, stability, and scalability. Key challenges remaining across all pathways to practical implementation, including residual NH3 removal and H2 purification, catalyst deactivation and stability, heat management and energy efficiency, start-up/shut-down dynamics, as well as system integration and economics, are critically assessed. This review provides theoretical guidance and practical recommendations for developing scalable, low-temperature NH3 decomposition technologies.