Hydrogen production through hydrolysis of sodium borohydride: Oleic acid stabilized Co-La-Zr-B nanoparticle as a novel catalyst

OL (Oleic acid)-Cobalt-Lanthanum-Zirconium-Boron nanoparticle was synthesized by chemical reduction of chloride salts of metals in the presence of oleic acid as stabilizing agent. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) and UV-vis (Ultraviolet-visible) techniques. XRD pattern declares that under Argon atmosphere only metal boride phase has been crystallized and it is not seen any oxide phase of metals. TEM image depicts there are not form any agglomerated nanoparticle. Particle size distribution was prepared and average size particle is about 25 nm. OL stabilized Co-La-Zr-B nanoparticle is active for hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. The reported work also includes the full experimental details for the collection of a wealth of kinetic data to determine the activation energy (Ea = 51.24 kJ mol−1) and effects of the catalyst dosage, amount of substrate, and temperature on the rate for the catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Catalytic hydrolysis of NaBH4 is first order with respect to the catalyst concentration and also first order to the NaBH4 concentration in the case of OL stabilized Co-La-Zr-B nanoparticles.