The department “Catalyst materials for gas phase reactions” focuses on developing catalysts for the synthesis/dehydrogenation of both carbon-based and carbon-free hydrogen carriers. The target hydrogen carriers for gasphase applications include methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), methane, ammonia, etc. Advanced catalysts for synthesizing these hydrogen carriers from CO2, syngas, and N2 are developed with the goal of not only using pure and stoichiometric feeds but also various feed mixtures with nonstoichiometric ratios and a wide range of impurities. Similarly, dehydrogenation catalysts are designed aiming at high activity and stability under different experimental conditions with efficient material usability. With the target of enhanced mass and heat transfer, shaped catalysts (such as modified metal foams) are investigated mainly for dehydrogenation reactions. Moreover, catalyst stability tests under stoichiometric feed as well as harsh and dynamic conditions are performed at a laboratory scale for both synthesis and dehydrogenation processes to evaluate their potential for application under various conditions. In the case of catalyst deactivation, regeneration strategies such as in situ calcination and reduction are tested to recover activity.
