Hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane catalyzed by carbon supported Co core-Pt shell nanoparticles

Co core-Pt shell nanoparticles (denoted as Co1−x@Ptx where x = 0.33, 0.43, 0.60, 0.68, 0.82) and carbon supported Co core-Pt shell nanoparticles (denoted as Co1−x@Ptx/C where x = 0.60, 0.68, 0.82) (Co1−x@Ptx/C = 43%), which are synthesized through a polyol reduction process with oleic acid as a surfactant, have been investigated as catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3) at 25 ± 0.5 °C. The as-prepared Co core-Pt shell nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on carbon surface with diameters of about 3 nm. It is found that the catalysts show favorable performance toward the hydrolysis of NH3BH3 and the catalytic activity is associated with the ratio of Pt to Co. Among the catalysts studied, Co0.32@Pt0.68/C (Co0.32@Pt0.68/C = 43%) displays the highest catalytic performance, delivering a high hydrogen-release rate of 4874 mL min−1 g−1 (per catalyst).