Palladium on carbon as an efficient, durable and economical catalyst for the alcoholysis of B2pin2

Hydrogen has attracted much attention as one of the most promising chemical fuel candidates because of its zero emission during consumption. In order to solve the freezing problem of water based hydrolysis process, herein, the Pd/C as an efficient and stable catalyst for the methanolysis, ethanolysis, propanolysis and butanolysis of B(2)pin(2) for the generation of hydrogen has been first developed. The large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of k(H)/k(D) = 5.0, D-2 formation from CD3OD and in situ tandem reaction have confirmed that alcohol is the only hydrogen source. Interestingly, the order of E-a of these alcohols in H-2 evolution is MeOH (methanol, 29.57 kJ/mol) < EtOH (ethanol, 34.80 kJ/mol) < PrOH (propanol, 39.08 kJ/mol) (BuOH)-Bu-n (n-butanol, 41.98 kJ/mol), which is consistent with the known order of acidities of these alcohols (MeOH EtOH > PrOH > (BuOH)-Bu-n).

Automated summary

This study developed a method for hydrogen generation using Pd/C as a catalyst in the methanolysis, ethanolysis, propanolysis, and butanolysis of B(2)pin(2). It was found that alcohols were the only hydrogen source, and the order of hydrogen evolution activation energy (Ea) for different alcohols matched their known order of acidities.