Hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of ammonia borane with a nanoporous cobalt–tungsten–boron–phosphorus catalyst supported on Ni foam

In this study, quaternary cobalt–tungsten–boron–phosphorus porous particles supported on Ni foam (Co–W–B–P/Ni), which are prepared through ultrasonification-assisted electroless deposition route, have been investigated as the catalyst for hydrogen generation (HG) from hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB). Compared with Ni-supported binary Co–B and ternary Co–W–B catalysts, the as-synthesized Co–W–B–P/Ni shows a higher HG rate. To optimize the preparation parameters, the molar ratio of NaBH4/NaH2PO2·H2O (B/P) and the concentration of Na2WO4·2H2O (W) have been investigated and the catalyst prepared with B/P value of 1.5 and W concentration of 5 g L−1 shows the highest activity. The results of kinetic studies show that the catalytic hydrolysis of AB is first order with respect to the catalyst and AB concentrations. By using the quaternary catalyst with a concentration of 0.5 wt % AB, a HG rate of 4.0 L min−1 g−1 is achieved at 30 °C. Moreover, the apparent activation energy for the quaternary catalyst is determined to be 29.0 kJ mol−1, which is comparable to that of noble metal-based catalysts. These results indicate that the Co–W–B–P/Ni is a promising low-cost catalyst for on-board hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of borohydride.

Research highlights►In this manuscript, a quaternary Co–W–B–P/Ni catalyst has been synthesized through a simple ultrasonic-assisted electroless deposition route. ►The as-prepared nanoporous Co–W–B–P/Ni exhibited high catalytic activity for the hydrolysis of aqueous AB solution, resulting in high rate of hydrogen generation and low activation energy. ►The quaternary catalyst supported on Ni foam can be conveniently separated from the reaction solution and repeatedly used, showing considerable recycling performance. ►The prominent activity and cyclability make the Co–W–B–P/Ni a promising low-cost catalyst for on-board hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of borohydride.