Single-step hydrogen production from NH, CH, and biogas in stacked proton ceramic reactors.

Proton ceramic reactors offer efficient extraction of hydrogen from ammonia, methane, and biogas by coupling endothermic reforming reactions with heat from electrochemical gas separation and compression. Preserving this efficiency in scale-up from cell to stack level poses challenges to the distribution of heat and gas flows and electric current throughout a robust functional design. Here, we demonstrate a 36-cell well-balanced reactor stack enabled by a new interconnect that achieves complete conversion of methane with more than 99% recovery to pressurized hydrogen, leaving a concentrated stream of carbon dioxide.

Direct conversion of methane to aromatics in a catalytic co-ionic membrane reactor.

Nonoxidative methane dehydroaromatization (MDA: 6CH4 ↔ C6H6 + 9H2) using shape-selective Mo/zeolite catalysts is a key technology for exploitation of stranded natural gas reserves by direct conversion into transportable liquids. However, this reaction faces two major issues: The one-pass conversion is limited by thermodynamics, and the catalyst deactivates quickly through kinetically favored formation of coke. We show that integration of an electrochemical BaZrO3-based membrane exhibiting both proton and oxide ion conductivity into an MDA reactor gives rise to high aromatic yields and improved catalyst stability.