Separation of Hydrogen and Graphite from Natural Gas Through Nickel Atomic Lattice

The sustainable use of fossil fuels requires simultaneous efficient utilization of both energy and matter. Traditional fossil fuel processes primarily harvest energy through combustion, leaving much of the matter—especially carbon—unexploited and released in the form of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide). Here, we develop an atomic lattice separation method using a nickel foam-nickel foil structure to simultaneously extract both energy and matter from natural gas with high efficiency. In this design, hydrogen in natural gas is catalytically converted to hydrogen gas on nickel foam, while carbon is transformed into crystalline graphite via transport through the atomic lattice of nickel foil. This approach achieved efficient (> 99% conversion), stable (≥ 300 h stability), and reusable (≥ 5 cycles) hydrogen gas generation, coupled with the production of high-value graphite with an ultrahigh crystal quality and superior thermal and electrical properties. Further integration with a solid oxide fuel cell system demonstrated an electricity generation efficiency of ∼57%. This strategy establishes a sustainable pathway for separating energy (hydrogen) and matter (graphite) from hydrocarbons, thus providing new opportunities for high-efficiency and zero-emission natural gas utilization.