Nanoporous Ni-based catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane

We report nanoporous Ni, Ni-Fe, and Ni-Pt as catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB). The Ni and Ni-Fe nanoparticles with diameters of 20-25 nm were synthesized by a colloidal method in starch-containing aqueous solution. They exhibited considerable in situ catalytic performance but severely lost activity after separating from the reaction solution. Nanoporous Ni1-xPtx (x = 0.01, 0.08 and 0.19) with particle size below 5 nm was prepared from the isolated Ni nanoparticles through a replacement reaction. After centrifugation, drying, washing, and annealing, the obtained nanoporous Ni-Pt could attain remarkable activity, high hydrogen generation rate and efficiency, and low activation energy. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.