Catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) enables COx-free H2 while co-producing solid carbon. Its viability hinges on catalysts that couple high activity with stable carbon co‑product formation. We evaluate Ni catalysts on FeAl2O4 (hercynite) and identify ~ 40 wt% NiO as the optimum loading that balances activity with carbon yield. Promoter screening (La, Mg, Co; 5 wt%) reveals distinct control of reducibility and metal–support interaction (MSI). La lowers the reduction temperature, refines Ni/NiO crystallites, and increases Ni dispersion, delivering the highest initial CH4 conversion (52.3%) and H2 production rate (90.6 mmol gcat −1 min−1), albeit with deactivation at ~ 150 min due to rapid carbon encapsulation. Mg strengthens the MSI and stabilizes residual NiO through MgO/MgAl2O4, lowering the initial activity. In contrast, Co promotes spinel formation and Ni aggregation, yielding the weakest activity. CDM is highly selective to H2 with carbon as the sole co-product; the carbon forms multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with ~ 16–24 nm diameters. Operating parameters further tune performance, with 650 °C being most effective. Lowering the space velocity extends the timeon- stream to ~ 450 min, increases the initial conversion to 59.4%, and raises the carbon yield from ~ 970% to ~ 1470%. Comprehensive characterization links promoter-dependent reducibility and metal–support interaction to activity, stability, and MWCNT yield. These results provide practical guidance for co-optimizing composition and operating conditions in CDM. NiO/FeAl2O4 with ~ 40 wt% NiO can serve as a baseline; La addition elevates initial rates, and operating at lower space velocity mitigates carbon-induced deactivation, thereby increasing H2 productivity and improving CNT quality.

복어는 동아시아 요리의 고급 원료로 상업적 가치가 높 은 수산자원이나, 야생 복어의 테트로도톡신은 치명적인 식중독 사건을 꾸준히 유발하고 있다. 자주복은 한국, 일 본, 중국에서 인기 있는 복어 종으로, 테트로도톡신이 없 는 복어 생산을 위해 양식되는 주된 어종이다. 따라서 양 식 자주복과 자연산 자주복의 구별은 식품 안전과 규제측면에서 매우 중요하다. 본 연구에서는 국내 온라인 및 오프라인 시장에서 판매되는 100개의 자주복 제품을 대상 으로 ‘양식 및 자연산’ 여부를 PCR 기반 방법을 이용하 여 확인하였으며, PCR 결과를 제품의 표시사항 정보와 비 교하였다. PCR 분석에는 자연산 자주복과 양식 자주복의 유전적 다양성 차이를 보이는 6개의 마커를 이용하였다. PCR 분석 결과 모든 양식 자주복 제품에서는 6개 마커에 서 모두 완전한 증폭 패턴을 보였으나, 자연산 자주복 제 품에서는 0 - 5개 마커에서 만 무작위 증폭 패턴을 나타냈 다. 따라서 6개 유전 마커의 증폭 패턴을 이용한 분석법 은 향후 자주복 제품의 허위표시 모니터링 및 테트로도톡 신 유무의 신속 검사에 널리 활용될 수 있을 것이다. 또 한 본 연구 결과는 현행 복어 종 판별을 보완할 수 있는 기초자료를 제공해 줄 수 있다.

As the demand for sustainable hydrogen (H₂) production grows, catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) has emerged as a CO2- free pathway for H2 generation, producing valuable multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as byproducts. This study examines the role of fuel type in shaping the properties and performance of NiOx/AlOx catalysts synthesized via solution combustion synthesis (SCS). Catalysts prepared with citric acid, urea, hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), and glycine exhibited varying NiO nanoparticle (NP) sizes and dispersions. Among them, the HMTA catalyst achieved the highest Ni dispersion (~ 3.2%) and specific surface area (21.6 m2/ gcat), attributed to vigorous combustion facilitated by its high pH and amino-group-based fuel. Catalytic tests showed comparable activation energy (55.7–59.7 kJ/mol) across all catalysts, indicating similar active site formation mechanisms. However, the HMTA catalyst demonstrated superior CH4 conversion (~ 68%) and stability, maintaining performance for over 160 min under undiluted CH₄, while others deactivated rapidly. MWCNT characterization revealed consistent structural properties, such as graphitization degree and electrical conductivity, across all catalysts, emphasizing that fuel type influenced stability rather than MWCNT quality. H2 temperature-programmed reduction ( H2-TPR) analysis identified moderate metal-support interaction (MSI) in the HMTA catalyst as a key factor for optimizing stability and active site utilization. These findings underscore the importance of fuel selection in SCS to control MSIs and dispersion, offering a strategy to enhance catalytic performance in CDM and other thermocatalytic applications.

Si-based anodes are promising alternatives to graphite owing to their high capacities. However, their practical application is hindered by severe volume expansion during cycling. Herein, we propose employing a carbon support to address this challenge and utilize Si-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Specifically, carbon supports with various pore structures were prepared through KOH and NaOH activation of the pitch. In addition, Si was deposited into the carbon support pores via SiH4 chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and to enhance the conductivity and mechanical stability, a carbon coating was applied via CH4 CVD. The electrochemical performance of the C/Si/C composites was assessed, providing insights into their capacity retention rates, cycling stability, rate capability, and lithium-ion diffusion coefficients. Notably, the macrostructure of the carbon support differed significantly depending on the activation agent used. More importantly, the macrostructure of the carbon support significantly affected the Si deposition behavior and enhanced the stability by mitigating the volume expansion of the Si particles. This study elucidated the crucial role of the macrostructure of carbon supports in optimizing Si-based anode materials for LIBs, providing valuable guidance for the design and development of high-performance energy-storage systems.