Steam Reforming Of Natural Gas Research Articles

Dynamic and steady-state analysis of steam reforming of methane to hydrogen in a reformer for electric-powered unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract Hydrogen-fueled combustion systems are becoming popular in recent years. Methane is one of the significant hydrogen supplier in nature. Thus, in the study, the natural gas-fueled reactor-assisted solid oxide fuel-cell system is configured to provide a current to load the battery to turn the propeller of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the large-scale hydrogen-onboard system. The methane-fueled reactor has not been studied under a large-scale case in literature yet. To investigate the amount of products, this paper presents about the steam-reforming performance of natural gas in steady state and transient in the reactor. The influence of vital parameters such as steam/carbon, gas feed temperatures, the amount of heat transferred to the reactor in methane steam reforming for a plug flow reactor, and a continuous stirred tank-type reactor is investigated respectively. Methane conversion, yield of hydrogen gas and H2 gas generation for different medium conditions along the reactor are studied on by using the COMSOL Multiphysics program. The steady-state and time-dependent characteristics of the steam reforming of natural gas are focused on. The high conversion ratio of methane gas is obtained by ranking the steam/carbon ratio. The released hydrogen gas molar flow rate is increasing according to the reactor volume. The achieved power provided by produced gas of H2 is 97 hp supplying the thrust force for an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Simulation and optimization of hydrogen production by steam reforming of natural gas for refining and petrochemical demands in Lebanon

Steam reforming of natural gas produces the majority of the world's hydrogen (H2) and it is considered as a cost-effective method from a product yield and energy consumption point of view. In this work, we present a simulation and an optimization study of an industrial natural gas steam reforming process by using Aspen HYSYS and MATLAB software. All the parameters were optimized to successfully run a complete process including the hydrogen production zone units (reformer reactor, high temperature gas shift reactor HTS and low temperature gas shift reactor LTS) and the purification zone units (absorber and methanator). Optimum production of hydrogen (87,404 MT/year) was obtained by fixing the temperatures in the reformer and the gas shift reactors (HTS & LTS) at 900 °C, 500 °C and 200 °C respectively while maintaining a pressure of 7 atm, and a steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of 4. Moreover, ~99% of the undesired CO2 and CO gases were removed in the purification zone and a reduction of energy consumption of 77.5% was reached in the heating and cooling units of the process.

Investigation of effective parameters on SAPO-34 nanocatalyst in the methanol-to-olefin conversion process: a review

AbstractLight olefins such as ethylene, propylene and butylene are mainly used in the petrochemical industry. Due to the growing need for light olefins in the industry and the future shortage of petroleum resources, the process of converting methanol to olefins (MTO) using non-oil sources has been considered as an alternative. Coal and natural gas are abundant in nature and the methods of converting them to methanol are well known today. Coal gasification or steam reforming of natural gas to produce synthetic gas (CO and hydrogen gas) can lead to methanol production. Methanol can also be catalytically converted to gasoline or olefins depending on the effective process and catalyst factors used. Due to the use of crude methanol in the MTO unit and because the feed does not require primary distillation, if the MTO unit is installed alongside the methanol unit, its capital costs will be reduced. The use of methanol can have advantages such as easier and less expensive transportation than ethane. Among the available catalysts, SAPO-34 is the most suitable catalyst for this process due to its small cavities and medium acidity. One of the problems of MTO units is the rapid deactivation of SAPO-34, which can also be affected by the synthesis factors, so it is possible to optimize the catalyst performance by modifying the synthesis conditions. In this article, we will introduce the MTO process and the factors affecting the production of light olefins.

Feasibility of the Zero-V: A zero-emissions hydrogen fuel-cell coastal research vessel

A study is presented to determine the technical, regulatory, and economic feasibility of a coastal research vessel (named the “Zero-V”) powered solely by hydrogen fuel cells. Feasibility is examined in the context of science mission profiles of particular significance in coastal oceanography that require a modern, capable, general-purpose coastal research vessel. These missions translate into the primary Zero-V vessel requirements against which technical feasibility is assessed. Hull form analysis indicated a trimaran design enables a vessel that can meet all of the space and volume requirements as well as for fitment of the machinery, service, and control spaces necessary for operation of the vessel. To meet speed and range (endurance) requirements, the vessel needs to be constructed of aluminum to reduce weight. The beam (56 feet), length (170 feet) and draft (12 feet) of the vessel enable it to dock at all primary ports of call. With 1800 kW of installed proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel-cell power for primary propulsion, the cruising speed is 10 knots. With 10,900 kg of consumable LH2 stored in two LH2 tanks, the range of the vessel is 2400 nautical miles, with an endurance of 15 days. Both the greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria pollutant (NOx, HC, PM10) emissions were estimated based on a complete “well-to-waves” (WTW) analysis. Using renewable hydrogen, the annual WTW GHG emissions predicted for the Zero-V are 91.4% less than those from an equivalent vessel running on conventional diesel fuel. Analysis of the WTW criteria pollutant emissions show that hydrogen PEM fuel-cell technology can reduce these emissions below stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 marine diesel engine emissions limits regardless of whether the hydrogen is made using natural gas or renewable methods.The capital construction cost is estimated to be ~ $79 M, not unreasonable when compared to other modern diesel-fueled research vessels of similar size and capabilities. The operations and maintenance (O&M) costs of the Zero-V were estimated to be 7.7% higher than operating the equivalent diesel-fueled vessel at the assumed fuel prices for LH2 made from steam reforming of fossil natural gas. The approach to safety for the Zero-V is described in terms of the arrangement of hazardous areas on the vessel. Regulatory review of the vessel design by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Class society DNV GL found no fundamental or “show-stopping” design concerns that would prevent eventual deployment of the Zero-V. Overall, this study found it feasible from technical, regulatory, and economic perspectives to design, build and operate a coastal research vessel powered solely by hydrogen fuel cells.

Alkaline thermal treatment of seaweed for high-purity hydrogen production with carbon capture and storage potential

Current thermochemical methods to generate H2 include gasification and steam reforming of coal and natural gas, in which anthropogenic CO2 emission is inevitable. If biomass is used as a source of H2, the process can be considered carbon-neutral. Seaweeds are among the less studied types of biomass with great potential because they do not require freshwater. Unfortunately, reaction pathways to thermochemically convert salty and wet biomass into H2 are limited. In this study, a catalytic alkaline thermal treatment of brown seaweed is investigated to produce high purity H2 with substantially suppressed CO2 formation making the overall biomass conversion not only carbon-neutral but also potentially carbon-negative. High-purity 69.69 mmol-H2/(dry-ash-free)g-brown seaweed is produced with a conversion as high as 71%. The hydroxide is involved in both H2 production and in situ CO2 capture, while the Ni/ZrO2 catalyst enhanced the secondary H2 formation via steam methane reforming and water-gas shift reactions.

Improved Performance of the Natural Gas Steam Reforming by Coupling with Internal Combustor and Target Heat Transfer in an Integrated Reactor

A compact reactor for natural gas steam reforming, in which hydrogen production was coupled with an internal combustor in alternate chambers, was developed and tested. Based on the target heat tran...

Hydrogen Production: State of Technology

Presently, hydrogen is for ∼50% produced by steam reforming of natural gas – a process leading to significant emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG). About 30% is produced from oil/naphtha reforming and from refinery/chemical industry off-gases. The remaining capacity is covered for 18% from coal gasification, 3.9% from water electrolysis and 0.1% from other sources. In the foreseen future hydrogen economy, green hydrogen production methods will need to supply hydrogen to be used directly as fuel or to generate synthetic fuels, to produce ammonia and other fertilizers (viz. urea), to upgrade heavy oils (like oil sands), and to produce other chemicals. There are several ways to produce H2, each with limitations and potential, such as steam reforming, electrolysis, thermal and thermo-chemical water splitting, dark and photonic fermentation; gasification, and catalytic decomposition of methanol. The paper reviews the fundamentals and potential of these alternative process routes. Both thermo-chemical water splitting and fermentation are marked as having a long term but high “green” potential.

Selective CO Methanation in H2-Rich Gas for Household Fuel Cell Applications

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are often used for household applications, utilizing hydrogen produced from natural gas from the gas grid. The hydrogen is thereby produced by steam reforming of natural gas followed by a water gas shift (WGS) unit. The H2-rich gas contains besides CO2 small amounts of CO, which deactivates the catalyst used in the PEMFCs. Preferential oxidation has so far been a reliable process to reduce this concentration but valuable H2 is also partly converted. Selective CO methanation considered as an attractive alternative. However, CO2 methanation consuming the valuable H2 has to be minimized. The modelling of selective CO methanation in a household fuel cell system is presented. The simulation was conducted for single and two-stage adiabatic fixed bed reactors (in the latter case with intermediate cooling), and the best operating conditions to achieve the required residual CO content (100 ppm) were calculated. This was done by varying the gas inlet temperature as well as the mass of the catalyst. The feed gas represented a reformate gas downstream of a typical WGS reaction unit (0.5%–1% CO, 10%–25% CO2, and 5%–20% H2O (rest H2)).

Low-temperature Steam Reforming of Natural Gas to Methane-Hydrogen Mixtures

Thermodynamic analysis of the steam reforming of natural gas at a temperature of 300–600 °C, pressure 0.1–4 MPa and Н2О : С molar ratio 0.8–1.2 was carried out. Under these conditions, the reaction products are methane-hydrogen mixtures with the hydrogen concentration 10–30 vol.%. Raising the temperature and Н2О : С molar ratio as well as decreasing the pressure make it possible to increase the hydrogen concentration in the reaction products. Thermodynamic boundaries of the process in the absence of catalyst coking were determined. Experiments on the formation of methane-hydrogen mixtures from methane with the outlet hydrogen concentration 15–35 vol.% were performed on a commercial Ni-CrOx-Al2O3 catalyst at a temperature of 325–425 °С, Н2О : С molar ratio 0.8–1.0, and atmospheric pressure. Under the indicated conditions, the process was not accompanied by the formation of carbon on the catalyst.

CuFeO2–CeO2 nanopowder catalyst prepared by self-combustion glycine nitrate process and applied for hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming

Hydrogen (H2) is being considered as an alternate renewable energy carrier due to the energy crisis, climate change and global warming. In the chemical industry, hydrogen production is mainly accomplished by the steam reforming of natural gas. In the present study, CuFeO2–CeO2 nanopowder catalyst with a heterogeneous delafossite structure was prepared by the self-combustion glycine nitrate process and used for steam reforming of methanol (SRM). The precursor solution was fabricated from Cu–Fe–Ce metal-nitrate mixed with glycine and an aqueous solution. The prepared CuFeO2–CeO2 nanopowder catalyst was studied by different physical and chemical characterization techniques. The prepared CuFeO2–CeO2 nanopowder catalyst was immensely porous with a coral-like structure. The BET surface area measurement revealed that the specific surface area of as-combusted CuFeO2–CeO2 nanopowder varied from 5.6248 m2/g to 19.5441 m2/g. In addition, the production rate of CuFeO2–CeO2 was improved by adding CeO2 and adjusting the feeding rate of the methanol. The highest H2 generation rate of the CuFeO2–CeO2 catalyst was 2582.25 (mL STP min−1 g-cat−1) at a flow rate of 30 sccm at 400 °C. Hence, the high specific surface area of the 70CuFeO2–30CeO2 nanopowder catalyst and the steam reforming process could have a very important industrial and economic impact.

Optimising the role of solar PV in Qatar’s power sector

Qatari policymakers must balance domestic energy needs with the economic imperative to maximise hydrocarbon exports. We have modelled the optimal evolution of Qatar’s electricity system over the next few decades, with the goal of quantifying the potential for solar energy (and other low-carbon technologies) in the grid. Our results show that there is scope for up to 60,000 GWh per year of electricity production from solar PV by the 2040s, complemented by investments in grid-scale intra-day battery storage and cross-border transmission capacity. Adding renewables to the grid not only reduces the carbon footprint of Qatari consumers, but also frees up more hydrocarbons for export, particularly low-carbon hydrogen derived from steam reforming of natural gas (with CCS), for which Japan may be a prime consumer.

Catalytic Steam Reforming of Natural Gas over a New Ni Exsolved Ruddlesden‐Popper Manganite in SOFC Anode Conditions

AbstractThe catalytic behavior of the new Ni exsolved Ruddlesden‐Popper (RP) manganite (La1.5Sr1.5Mn1.5Ni0.5O7) for the reforming reaction was studied. The material was synthesized by the Pechini method and reduced to induce the formation of two phases: n=1 RP structure LaSrMnO4 decorated with Ni nanoparticles. Ni impregnation on (La,Sr)2MnO4 ceramic support of similar composition was also prepared for comparison. The catalytic measurements were carried out in a reduction‐reaction process with low steam to carbon content (S/C=0.15) at 700, 800 and 850 °C. The exsolved material exhibits a better performance than the impregnated for the methane steam reforming reaction, especially at 850 °C with higher conversion and H2 production rate. However, in light alkane gas mixtures (CH4−C2H6 and CH4−C3H8), the behavior is affected due to the competition between reactions and low available metallic active sites, without affecting the H2 production. The exceptional overall results considering this new material as a promising anode material in a SOFC fed with Colombian natural gas.

Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming: A Critical Analysis of MR and RMM Technologies.

‘Hydrogen as the energy carrier of the future’ has been a topic discussed for decades and is today the subject of a new revival, especially driven by the investments in renewable electricity and the technological efforts done by high-developed industrial powers, such as Northern Europe and Japan. Although hydrogen production from renewable resources is still limited to small scale, local solutions, and R&D projects; steam reforming (SR) of natural gas at industrial scale is the cheapest and most used technology and generates around 8 kg CO2 per kg H2. This paper is focused on the process optimization and decarbonization of H2 production from fossil fuels to promote more efficient approaches based on membrane separation. In this work, two emerging configurations have been compared from the numerical point of view: the membrane reactor (MR) and the reformer and membrane module (RMM), proposed and tested by this research group. The rate of hydrogen production by SR has been calculated according to other literature works, a one-dimensional model has been developed for mass, heat, and momentum balances. For the membrane modules, the rate of hydrogen permeation has been estimated according to mass transfer correlation previously reported by this research group and based on previous experimental tests carried on in the first RMM Pilot Plant. The methane conversion, carbon dioxide yield, temperature, and pressure profile are compared for each configuration: SR, MR, and RMM. By decoupling the reaction and separation section, such as in the RMM, the overall methane conversion can be increased of about 30% improving the efficiency of the system.

Optimizing Qatar\u2019s energy system for a post-carbon future

Global decarbonization efforts, along with domestic pressures to diversify the economy, have created challenges and opportunities for the Qatari energy system. The government is focused on diversifying the national economy away from hydrocarbons, encouraging sustainable use of resources, and ensuring the security of food, energy, and water systems. Our optimization framework allows policymakers to apply a systems approach to the overall energy infrastructure in Qatar, covering a range of sectors such as industry, residential infrastructure, transportation, and agriculture. Our aims are two-fold: first, to develop an open-source tool that can be used for national-level planning and policymaking, and second to use this tool to generate key technology and policy insights that can aid the transition of Qatari energy infrastructure in the long term. Our results provide a blueprint for a cross-sectoral energy transformation: from greater use of low-carbon transport such as electric cars and public transit, to grid-scale adoption of solar energy and reverse osmosis for desalination. Liquefied natural gas is not expected to remain the most economical export, instead being replaced by hydrogen obtained from the steam reforming of natural gas. We have modeled a long-term domestic divestment from hydrocarbon exports and have shown that the country can still retain significant economic wealth in a post-carbon world, thus maintaining existing political, economic, and social structures.

Prospective techno-economic and environmental assessment of a national hydrogen production mix for road transport

Fuel cell electric vehicles arise as an alternative to conventional vehicles in the road transport sector. They could contribute to decarbonising the transport system because they have no direct CO2 emissions during the use phase. In fact, the life-cycle environmental performance of hydrogen as a transportation fuel focuses on its production. In this sense, through the case study of Spain, this article prospectively assesses the techno-economic and environmental performance of a national hydrogen production mix by following a methodological framework based on energy systems modelling enriched with endogenous carbon footprint indicators. Taking into account the need for a hydrogen economy based on clean options, alternative scenarios characterised by carbon footprint restrictions with respect to a fossil-based scenario dominated by steam methane reforming are evaluated. In these scenarios, the steam reforming of natural gas still arises as the key hydrogen production technology in the short term, whereas water electrolysis is the main technology in the medium and long term. Furthermore, in scenarios with very restrictive carbon footprint limits, biomass gasification also appears as a key hydrogen production technology in the long term. In the alternative scenarios assessed, the functional substitution of hydrogen for conventional fossil fuels in the road transport sector could lead to high greenhouse gas emission savings, ranging from 36 to 58 Mt CO2 eq in 2050. Overall, these findings and the model structure and characterisation developed for the assessment of hydrogen energy scenarios are expected to be relevant not only to the specific case study of Spain but also to analysts and decision-makers in a large number of countries facing similar concerns.

Methane and Ethane Steam Reforming over MgAl2O4-Supported Rh and Ir Catalysts: Catalytic Implications for Natural Gas Reforming Application

Solar concentrators employed in conjunction with highly efficient micro- and meso-channel reactors offer the potential for cost-effective upgrading of the energy content of natural gas, providing a near-term path towards a future solar-fuel economy with reduced carbon dioxide emissions. To fully exploit the heat and mass transfer advantages offered by micro- and meso-channel reactors, highly active and stable natural gas steam reforming catalysts are required. In this paper, we report the catalytic performance of MgAl2O4-supported Rh (5 wt.%), Ir (5 wt.%), and Ni (15 wt.%) catalysts used for steam reforming of natural gas. Both Rh- and Ir-based catalysts are known to be more active and durable than conventional Ni-based formulations, and recently Ir has been reported to be more active than Rh for methane steam reforming on a turnover basis. Thus, the effectiveness of all three metals to perform natural gas steam reforming was evaluated in this study. Here, the Rh- and Ir-supported catalysts both exhibited higher activity than Ni for steam methane reforming. However, using simulated natural gas feedstock (94.5% methane, 4.0% ethane, 1.0% propane, and 0.5% butane), the Ir catalyst was the least active (on a turnover basis) for steam reforming of higher hydrocarbons (C2+) contained in the feedstock when operated at <750 °C. To further investigate the role of higher hydrocarbons, we used an ethane feed and found that hydrogenolysis precedes the steam reforming reaction and that C–C bond scission over Ir is kinetically slow compared to Rh. Catalyst durability studies revealed the Rh catalyst to be stable under steam methane reforming conditions, as evidenced by two 100-hour duration experiments performed at 850 and 900 °C (steam to carbon [S/C] molar feed ratio = 2.0 mol). However, with the natural gas simulant feed, the Rh catalyst exhibited catalyst deactivation, which we attribute to coking deposits derived from higher hydrocarbons contained in the feedstock. Increasing the S/C molar feed ratio from 1.5 to 2.0 reduced the deactivation rate and stable catalytic performance was demonstrated for 120 h when operated at 850 °C. However, catalytic deactivation was observed when operating at 900 °C. While improvements in steam reforming performance can be achieved through choice of catalyst composition, this study also highlights the importance of considering the effect of higher hydrocarbons contained in natural gas, operating conditions (e.g., temperature, S/C feed ratio), and their effect on catalyst stability. The results of this study conclude that a Rh-supported catalyst was developed that enables very high activities and excellent catalytic stability for both the steam reforming of methane and other higher hydrocarbons contained in natural gas, and under conditions of operation that are amendable to solar thermochemical operations.

Recent advances in membrane technologies for hydrogen purification

Planet Earth is facing accelerated global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The United Nations agreement at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015 highlighted the importance of reducing CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Hydrogen is a clean and efficient energy carrier and a hydrogen-based economy is now widely regarded as a potential solution for the future of energy security and sustainability. Although hydrogen can be produced from water electrolysis, economic reasons dictate that most of the H2 produced worldwide, currently comes from the steam reforming of natural gas and this situation is set to continue in the foreseeable future. This production process delivers a H2-rich mixture of gases from which H2 needs to be purified up to the ultra-high purity levels required by fuel cells (99.97%). This driving force pushes for the development of newer H2 purification technologies that can be highly selective and more energy efficient than the traditional energy intensive processes of pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation. Membrane technology appears as an obvious energy efficient alternative for producing the ultra-pure H2 required for fuel cells. However, membrane technology for H2 purification has still not reached the maturity level required for its ubiquitous industrial application. This review article covers the major aspects of the current research in membrane separation technology for H2 purification, focusing on four major types of emerging membrane technologies (carbon molecular sieve membranes; ionic-liquid based membranes; palladium-based membranes and electrochemical hydrogen pumping membranes) and establishes a comparison between them in terms of advantages and limitations.

Techno-economic assessment of an integrated high pressure chemical-looping process with packed-bed reactors in large scale hydrogen and methanol production

A full-scale techno-economic analysis of a novel chemical looping based process using dynamically operated packed bed reactors has been carried out for the large-scale production of hydrogen (up to 30,000 Nm3/h) and methanol (up to 10,000 tons per day) with inherently integrated CO2 capture. The complete process is carried out in three main reactors, in which the reactions occurring are the dry and steam reforming of natural gas with H2O and CO2, the oxidation of the oxygen carrier (OC) with air and the reduction with a low-grade fuel such as plant off-gases. The thermal balance of the process is achieved by combining the endothermic reforming reaction with the exothermic chemical looping combustion. The chemical looping based process is fully integrated with the separation and synthesis units as well as the power and heat utilities of the two large scale production plants. The two plants are compared with state-of-the-art technologies, including the benchmarks for hydrogen and methanol production from natural gas through steam reforming and auto-thermal reforming. Compared to a conventional H2 production plant (without CO2 capture), the reforming efficiency is 3% higher, while the required primary energy consumption to separate CO2 is 0.47 MJLHV/kgCO2 which is significantly lower than that of an amine-based plant (>1.35 MJLHV/kgCO2) and the cost of hydrogen production with the proposed process is 2.19 $/kg with a CO2 avoidance cost of 58.7 $/tonCO2 (compared to > 70.6 $/tonCO2 for solvent based plant). In case of methanol production, the carbon conversion is comparable with the best available processes even though CO2 purification and separation (98% capture with >96% purity) units are included due to the improved energy recovery. By using chemical looping the cost of methanol production decreases overall by 17% compared to the benchmark plant due to the lower investment cost and higher electricity generation resulting overall in a negative CO2 avoidance cost (-303 $/tonCO2).

Hydrogen purification from binary syngas by PSA with pressure equalization using microporous palm kernel shell activated carbon

Hydrogen (H2) produced from fossil sources via steam reforming of natural gas requires further purification before it can be safely used for human consumption and as fuel to generate electricity from hydrogen fuel cells. A promising technology for H2 purification from carbon dioxide (CO2) is by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) using palm kernel shell activated carbon. The adsorbent exhibited higher affinity for CO2 than H2. The adsorption system was capable of achieving H2 purity of almost 100% with H2 recovery of 88.43%. H2 contributed 6.62 J.min−1 of the energy requirement from the total energy of 6.63 J.min−1 as a result of pressurization of the gas at 3 bar. H2 contributed 5.85 J.min−1 energy from depressurization of the gas to 1.5 bar. The modest energy requirement with high level of H2 purity and recovery demonstrated the effectiveness of PSA with pressure equalization mode for H2 purification from syngas.

A Bimetallic Electrocatalyst Platform for Understanding the Roles of Surface Chemistry and Functionalization on Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia

The Haber-Bosch industrial process for ammonia production is the cornerstone of modern commercial-fertilizer-based agriculture. Haber-Bosch ammonia fueled the global population growth of the 20th century, and approximately half of the nitrogen in human bodies today originates from ammonia-based fertilizer produced by the Haber-Bosch process. However, the Haber-Bosch process operates at high temperature and high pressure to achieve high conversion efficiencies, and the hydrogen input comes from steam reforming of coal or natural gas. In addition to the energy costs, the large production of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and the large required economies of scale motivate research efforts to explore other possible options for ammonia production. One potential option is low temperature electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and water. An electrochemical process that directly synthesizes ammonia molecules from nitrogen gas and the hydrogen atoms of water molecules would eliminate the need for fossil-fuel-based hydrogen as a reactant and decrease CO2 emissions. Further, an electrochemical system based on already-developed technology in the fuel cell and electrolysis arenas would enable a modular, scalable, and energy efficient process that could be connected to renewables (i.e., wind or solar) as the energy input. While electrochemical ammonia synthesis is an enticing option in theory, in practice the process is severely limited by the lack of available catalysts that can produce ammonia at high Faradaic efficiencies. All heterogeneous catalyst surfaces that are active for the reduction of di-nitrogen to ammonia in the presence of water are also highly active for the reduction of water molecules to hydrogen gas. Both reactions occur within a similar potential range, and thus electrochemical systems will inherently battle against this reaction selectivity issue. Today, all reported heterogeneous catalysts remain limited to low efficiencies of less than 1% for ammonia production at low temperature because the majority of the applied electrical potential goes towards water splitting and the evolution of hydrogen. In our research, we are interested in understanding how catalyst surface chemistry and ligand functionalization can be used to direct and control reaction selectivity of the electrocatalyst. We synthesize non-precious metal-based catalysts comprised of iron and nickel, which, as a bimetallic material, are theoretically-predicted to potentially result in optimal surfaces for nitrogen reduction. However, these mixed oxide/hydroxide surfaces are also expected to still be dominated by hydrogen adsorption and evolution. Thus, to further address reaction selectivity and create a catalyst surface that is more selective for ammonia synthesis, we also design our catalysts such that the local surface environment of the catalyst is controlled through ligand functionalization. In this talk, our ongoing work to design, synthesize and characterize iron-nickel hydroxide bimetallic catalysts for efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis will be discussed.