Provided are a supported metal material showing high catalytic activity, a supported metal catalyst, a method of producing ammonia and a method of producing hydrogen using the supported metal catalyst, and a method of producing a cyanamide compound. The supported metal material of the present invention is a supported metal material in which a transition metal is supported on a support, and the support is a cyanamide compound represented by the following general formula (1): MCN.sub.2 (1), wherein M represents a group II element of the periodic table, and the specific surface area of the cyanamide compound is 1 m.sup.2 g.sup.−1 or more.

Included herein are methods for photodriven hydrogenation of N.sub.2, the methods comprising, for example: hydrogenating N.sub.2 to NH.sub.3 in the presence of a light, an organic transfer agent, and a first metal-containing catalyst; wherein: the transfer agent and the first catalyst are in a solution; the transfer agent comprises n chemically transferable electrons and protons, n being an integer equal to or greater than 1; the step of hydrogenating comprises at least one charge-transfer reaction via which the transfer agent donates at least one electron and at least one proton to one or more other chemical species; the step of hydrogenating comprises at least one photochemical reaction; and the light is characterized by energy sufficient to drive the at least one photochemical reaction. Also disclosed herein are methods comprising regenerating a spent-transfer agent back into the transfer agent.

This invention relates to a supported catalyst for synthesizing ammonia (NH.sub.3) from nitrogen gas (N.sub.2) and hydrogen gas (H.sub.2), method of making the support, and methods of decorating the support with the catalyst.

A chemical reactor that combines a pressure vessel, heat exchanger, heater, and catalyst holder into a single device is disclosed. The chemical reactor described herein reduces the cost of the reactor and reduces its parasitic heat losses. The disclosed chemical reactor is suitable for use in ammonia (NH.sub.3) synthesis.

Provided are an intermetallic compound having high stability and high activity, and a catalyst using the same. A hydrogen storage/release material containing an intermetallic compound represented by formula (1): RTX . . . (1) wherein R represents a lanthanoid element, T represents a transition metal in period 4 or period 5 in the periodic table, and X represents Si, Al or Ge.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for synthesizing ammonia and an apparatus for the method. The method for synthesizing ammonia according to the present invention comprises: a step of melting a metal containing at least an alkali metal; and a step of supplying a hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas to the molten metal.

The present disclosure provides methods of making confined nanocatalysts within mesoporous materials (MPMs). The methods utilize solid state growth of nanocrystalline metal organic frameworks (MOFs) followed by controlled transformation to generate nanocatalysts in situ within the mesoporous material. The disclosure also provides applications of the nanocatalysts to a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, synthetic liquid fuel preparation, and nitrogen fixation.

The invention provides a method of producing a metal oxyhydride, capable of synthesizing the metal oxyhydride under reaction conditions close to atmospheric pressure, and excellent in productivity and cost. The method of producing a metal oxyhydride of the present invention includes reacting an oxide with a metal hydride in a hydrogen atmosphere. A non-oxygen element constituting the oxide comprises only one kind of non-oxygen element. A pressure condition of the reaction is 0.1 to 0.9 MPa, and a temperature of the reaction is 500 to 1000° C.

Disclosed is a process whereby completed catalysts can be produced from the iron oxides, and these catalysts can be activated and employed directly after activation for ammonia synthesis from synthesis gas, comprising for example a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen. A process is also disclosed to produce pre-reduced catalyst precursors, which are first reduced under controlled conditions and subsequently passivated in an oxidizing atmosphere, before they are used in ammonia synthesis as catalysts. These pre-reduced catalysts can be activated significantly more quickly and under milder conditions than the iron oxides.

A method of a hydrocarbon product and ammonia comprises introducing C.sub.2H.sub.6 to a positive electrode of an electrochemical cell comprising the positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The proton-conducting membrane comprising an electrolyte material having an ionic conductivity greater than or equal to about 10.sup.−2 S/cm at one or more temperatures within a range of from about 150° C. to about 600° C. N.sub.2 is introduced to the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A potential difference is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrochemical cell. A system for co-producing higher hydrocarbons and NH.sub.3, and an electrochemical cell are also described.