Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION, cilt.223, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The catalytic decomposition of methane was investigated over mesoporous carbon-supported, lanthanum-promoted nickel catalysts under microwave irradiation at 500 degrees C. Lanthanum incorporation enhanced both the initial activity and long-term catalytic performance, with its influence on catalyst stability being particularly evident at higher nickel loadings. At the same time, the results highlight the importance of optimizing La2O3 content, as a maximum initial methane conversion of 82 % was achieved over a low-Ni-loaded catalyst (10 wt %) containing 1.5 wt % La. Filamentous tubular carbon nanostructures (CNFs/MWCNT-like) were observed across both low- and high- Ni catalysts, while their density and morphology were strongly influenced by Ni and La loading, with very low La contents favoring more encapsulating carbon deposits. In addition, lanthanum species and in situ formed nanocarbon deposits facilitated microwave energy absorption during reaction. Electrochemical characterization further revealed that catalysts with higher Ni content exhibited lower Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) overpotentials (as low as 240 mV), indicating superior electrocatalytic activity. Nyquist plot analysis confirmed reduced charge-transfer resistance for high Ni-loaded catalysts. Overall, these results demonstrate the effectiveness of Ni-La@MC catalysts for microwave-assisted methane decomposition and highlight the potential reuse of the resulting spent materials in related electrochemical applications.