Amorphous BaO-Al(2)O(3) encapsulation enables durable metal catalysts for ammonia decomposition.

Amorphous BaO–Al2O3 encapsulation layers formed during ammonia decomposition stabilize Co or Ni nanoparticles, delivering an intrinsic rate of 1,358 mmol H2·g metal−1·min−1 and 480 h durability.

• Why it matters: Existing encapsulated-catalyst methods are costly, complex, and unreliable, while conventional solid-state routes form thermodynamically stable phases that limit activity.
• What they did: Under ammonia decomposition reaction conditions (2NH3 → N2 + 3H2), solid-state BaCO3 and Al2O3 form Al2O3–BaO encapsulation layers around Co or Ni nanoparticles, restricting growth; amorphous Al2O3 supports NH3 adsorption and amorphous BaO supports N2/H2 release and N–H activation.
• The result: The encapsulated catalyst surpasses existing non-noble metal catalysts in intrinsic rate and maintains performance for 480 h, enabling durable confinement architectures for encapsulated metal catalysts.

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