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Steam methane reforming (SMR) is by far the dominant approach of hydrogen production, but its feasibility for producing low-carbon-footprint H2 has been constrained by high reaction temperatures (>800 °C), complexity of processes, and high energy penalties associated with H2 and CO2 separation. To address such key challenges, we propose a new principle of multi-product sequential separation and a new method of sequential separation-driven SMR for the first time. Target product species H2 and CO2 are sequentially separated, so that their partial pressures are maintained close to their maxima at thermodynamic equilibrium to effectively drive methane conversion to full completion theoretically. The new principle enables a remarkable decrease in the SMR temperature and a dramatic reduction in energy penalties of separation in theory and practice. The effectiveness of the new principle and method is …