ZrO 2 -supported Ru catalysts were prepared by an impregnation method and by NaBH 4 reduction from RuCl 3 •3H 2 O and a commercial ZrO 2 support. The catalyst prepared by NaBH 4 reduction showed high activity (around 60%) at 673 K for NH 3 decomposition, whereas the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method exhibited low activity (10%) under the same reaction conditions. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry indicated that the catalyst prepared by NaBH 4 reduction was free of Cl, whereas the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method contained more than 5 wt % Cl from the Ru precursor. This was main factor that caused the differences in catalytic activity. In addition, the Ru/ZrO 2 catalyst prepared by NaBH 4 reduction was active for NH 3 decomposition without H 2 pretreatment, and its activity was slightly higher than that of the catalyst pretreated with H 2 . The transmission electron microscopy and H 2 pulse chemical adsorption results demonstrated that the Ru metal particle size also affected the activity.
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