Boron Nitride: A Novel Support for Ruthenium-Based Ammonia Synthesis Catalysts

A barium-promoted boron nitride-supported ruthenium catalyst is shown to exhibit unprecedented activity and stability in catalytic ammonia synthesis. The activity is measured at temperatures between 360 and 400°C and at pressures of 50 to 100 bar. The stability of the Ba–Ru/BN catalyst is assessed from a test run conducted at 100 bar and 550°C for 3500 h causing no detectable deactivation.