An effective amino acid- assisted growth of ultrafine palladium nanocatalysts toward superior synergistic catalysis for hydrogen generation from formic acid

The highly efficient hydrogen generation system is crucial for clean energy. In this work, a facile and effective amino acid-assisted strategy has been developed to grow ultrafine and well-dispersed Pd nanoparticles (average diameter 1.9 nm) onto mesoporous carbon. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of formic acid with 100% selectivity and completion under mild conditions, affording a turnover frequency (TOF) value as high as 5723 h(-1) at 333 K, among the highest reported so far. Thus, the presented approach will greatly promote formic acid as a promising hydrogen storage material in practical applications and in the fabrication of highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for various reactions.