LAUSR

Abstract The decomposition of methane on molybdenum nanoparticles was studied experimentally at room temperature. The molybdenum nanoparticles were synthesized in the gas phase using UV laser photolysis of Mo(CO) 6 vapor in a flow reactor. The working part of the flow reactor was equipped with quartz windows for introducing the radiation from a pulsed Nd:YaG laser operating at the fourth harmonic (266 nm) at a frequency of 10 Hz. Methane was used as a carrier gas. As a result of irradiation of a mixture of methane with Mo(CO) 6 vapors in the gas phase at room temperature, nanoparticles with sizes of 2–50 nm were synthesized. The phase composition of the nanoparticles included pure molybdenum, molybdenum carbide Mo 2 C, and molybdenum oxide MoO 3 . During the reaction, the hydrogen yield was measured with a VG-7 highly sensitive hydrogen analyzer based on a semiconductor metal–dielectric sensor. The measured H 2 concentration varied from 5 to 25 ppm depending on the concentration of Mo(CO) 6 . The possibility of methane decomposition on molybdenum nanoparticles at room temperature was discussed based on the obtained data.