A highly active Co-B catalyst for hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride hydrolysis

Co-B catalysts were prepared by the chemical reduction of CoCl2 with NaBH4 for hydrogen generation from borohydride hydrolysis. The catalytic properties of the Co-B catalysts were found to be sensitive to the preparation conditions including pH of the NaBH4 solution and mixing manner of the precursors. A Co-B catalyst with a very high catalytic activity was obtained through the formation of a colloidal Co(OH)2 intermediate. The ultra-fine particle size of 10 nm accounted for its super activity for hydrogen generation with a maximum rate of 26 L min−1 g−1 at 30 °C. The catalyst also changed the hydrolysis kinetics from zero-order to first-order.