Ammonia Decomposition in the Presence of Water: A Resilient Barium Cobalt Catalyst

Thermocatalytic ammonia decomposition is a critical step in utilizing ammonia as a zero-emission fuel and energy carrier. Despite its industrial relevance, the impact of water─commonly added to ammonia to prevent tank and pipeline degradation by stress corrosion cracking─on catalyst performance remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the influence of trace water on the activity of Co- and Fe-based ammonia decomposition catalysts through a combined experimental and theoretical approach. Our findings reveal that while some promoted catalysts experience a detrimental activity loss, a barium-promoted cobalt catalyst demonstrates remarkable resilience, retaining most of its activity even at water concentrations up to 1%.