Research Progress on Hydrogen and Carbon Materials Production from Methane Pyrolysis

• • Methane pyrolysis offers a dual-output pathway: high-purity hydrogen (combustion value 120 MJ/kg) and functional carbon materials, addressing both energy and material demands. • • Solid catalysts face deactivation from carbon deposition; strategies such as alloying and support optimization can enhance resistance, but molten media systems provide a fundamental solution via dynamically refreshed gas-liquid interfaces. • • Molten media catalytic systems enable continuous carbon separation, overcoming a major bottleneck in solid catalyst processes, as evidenced by studies on bubble dynamics and reactor design. • • The review emphasizes precise control of carbon morphology, which is critical for high-value applications of carbon products, thereby improving overall process economics.