Hydrogen generation from decomposition of hydrous hydrazine over Ni-Ir/CeO2 catalyst

The synthesis of highly active and selective catalysts is the central issue in the development of hydrous hydrazine (N2H4.H2O) as a viable hydrogen carrier. Herein, we report the synthesis of bimetallic Ni-Ir nanocatalyts supported on CeO2 using a one-pot coprecipitation method. A combination of XRD, HRTEM and XPS analyses indicate that the Ni-Ir/CeO2 catalyst is composed of tiny Ni-Ir alloy nanoparticles with an average size of around 4 nm and crystalline CeO2 matrix. The Ni-Ir/CeO2 catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity and excellent selectivity towards hydrogen generation from N2H4.H2O at mild temperatures. Furthermore, in contrast to previously reported Ni-Pt catalysts, the Ni-Ir/CeO2 catalyst shows an alleviated requirement on alkali promoter to achieve its optimal catalytic performance.