The effects of alkaline earth metal
amides (Mg(NH2)2, Ca(NH2)2, and Ba(NH2)2) on Ru in catalyzing NH3 decomposition were investigated.
The catalytic activities rank in the order of Ru–Ba(NH2)2 > Ru–Ca(NH2)2 >
Ru–Mg(NH2)2, among which Ru–Ba(NH2)2 and Ru–Ca(NH2)2 catalysts have higher intrinsic activities (TOF) and lower apparent
activation energies than those of Ru–Mg(NH2)2 and Ru/MgO catalysts, indicating that Ca(NH2)2 and Ba(NH2)2 may have different roles
from those of Mg(NH2)2 and MgO. The TPR (temperature-programmed
reaction) results show that Ca(NH2)2 or Ba(NH2)2 decomposes to N2 and H2 rather than NH3 in the presence of Ru. Ru may promote
the NH
x
(x = 1, 2) coupling
to H2 and N2 and change the decomposition pathways
of Ca(NH2)2 and Ba(NH2)2. Kinetic analyses reveal that the Ru promoted NH
x
coupling to H2 and N2 may be the rate-determining
step for catalytic ammonia decomposition. We suggest that the catalysis
is very likely fulfilled via (1) Ru catalyzes the decomposition of
amides to form H2, N2, and imides through an
energy more favorable pathway and (2) imides react with NH3 to regenerate amides. The presence of Ca(NH2)2 or Ba(NH2)2 creates a NH
x
-rich environment, and Ru mediates the electron transfer from
NH
x
to facilitate NH
x
coupling to N2 and H2.