Ni-based catalysts supported on modified manganese oxide for hydrogen production via catalytic methane decomposition
Mirza Belal BEG, Labeeb ALI, Suryamol NAMBYARUVEETTIL, Mohammednoor ALTARAWNEH
Abstract. Catalytic methane decomposition (CMD) is a promising approach for producing hydrogen (H2) without COx formation alongside with valuable solid carbon. In this study, MnO2-supported Ni catalysts were modified by phosphorus (P) doping and granular activated carbon (GAC) to investigate the effect of support modulation on catalytic activity to produce H2. The catalysts were synthesized via a hydrothermal and wet impregnation (WI) route and tested in the temperature range of 400–800 °C. Among the prepared samples, the P-doped MnO2–supported Ni catalyst achieved the highest activity, achieving 84% H2 yield at 600 °C under the operating conditions. All prepared samples were characterized using several techniques to examine their physicochemical properties, such as XRD, and FTIR, which revealed that P-doping enhanced Ni dispersion and metal–support interaction compared with the GAC-modified catalyst, correlating with superior performance. Post-reaction analyses of spent catalysts using TGA and TPO confirmed the formation of thermally stable carbon species whose structure and oxidation behaviour varied with the support and reaction conditions. Overall, this work demonstrates that P-doped MnO2 is an effective support for high-loading Ni catalysts in CMD, providing an efficient pathway for low-emission H2 generation with solid carbon valorisation.
Keywords
Methane Decomposition, Hydrogen Production, Metal-Based Catalysts
Published online 6/20/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Mirza Belal BEG, Labeeb ALI, Suryamol NAMBYARUVEETTIL, Mohammednoor ALTARAWNEH, Ni-based catalysts supported on modified manganese oxide for hydrogen production via catalytic methane decomposition, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 393-400, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-53
The article was published as article 53 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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