0D/1D/2D Co@Co2Mo3O8 nanocomposite constructed by mutual-supported Co2Mo3O8 nanosheet and Co nanoparticle: Synthesis and enhanced hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Recently, hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) is a promising way of producing and employing hydrogen in mild conditions. Nonetheless, the failure to develop inexpensive and high-performance catalyst impedes the further scale hydrogen energy application of AB. Given the fact that ex-situ formed nanocatalysts could be prone to abscission and agglomeration for insufficient dispersion and support, 1D composite microrods with 0D/1D/2D spatial structure constructed by mutual-supported 2D single-crystal Co2Mo3O8 nanosheets and 0D Co nano particles (denoted as Co@Co2Mo3O8) have been in-situ synthesized and introduced into the hydrolysis of AB for the first time. Excitingly, the novel Co@Co2Mo3O8 exhibits one of the best catalytic performances in the hydrolysis of AB for non-noble metal/metal oxide heterojunction catalysts with TOF value reaching 17.28 molH2mol(-1) cat min(-1) at 25 degrees C, which is 3.95 and 24.0 times that of the single Co2Mo3O8 and Co. Meanwhile, two kinds of catalytic components with high intrinsic activity ((Co2Mo3O8) and Co) and supporting each other in the 0D/1D/2D spatial structure (nanoparticles, microrods, and nanosheets) along with plentiful O vacancies induce the outstanding catalytic activity of Co@Co2Mo3O8. The large-scale controllable preparation method for in-situ fabrication of non-noble metal 0D/1D/2D composite catalysts with high performances would be an accelerator for great potential application for hydrolysis of AB.

Automated summary

A novel non-noble metal catalyst Co@Co2Mo3O8 with outstanding catalytic performance in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) has been proposed. The catalyst possesses a unique 0D/1D/2D spatial structure and abundant oxygen vacancies, which contribute to its excellent catalytic activity.