Synthesis of polymer supported Ni (II)-Schiff Base complex and its usage as a catalyst in sodium borohydride hydrolysis

Influence of using as catalysis, Ni-Schiff Base complex which we previously synthesized [1] used to support with amberzyme oxirane resin (A.O.R.) polymer for increasing the catalytic activity in NaBH4 hydrolysis reaction, to hydrogen generation was studied. The prepared catalyst was characterized by using SEM, XRD, BET, FT-IR analyze technique. Polymer supported Ni-Schiff Base complex catalyzed NaBH4 hydrolysis reaction was investigated depending on concentration of NaBH4, concentration of NaOH, temperature, percentage of Ni complex in total polymer supported Ni-Schiff Base complex and amount of catalyst factors. The maximum hydrogen production rate from hydrolysis of sodium borohydride with nickel-based complex catalyst compared to the pure nickel catalyst is increased from 772 mL H2·g−1 cat.·min−1 to 2240 mL H2 g−1 cat.·min−1 [1], and with supported amberzyme oxirane resin polymer this nickel based complex catalyst was increased to 13000 mL H2·g−1 cat.·min−1 at 30 °C. The activation energy of complex catalyzed NaBH4 hydrolysis reaction was found as 25.377 kJ/mol. This work also includes kinetic information for the hydrolysis of NaBH4.