Methanolysis of Ammonia Borane by CoPd Nanoparticles

Monodisperse 7 nm CoPd nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled compositions were synthesized and studied for their catalyzing methanolysis of ammonia borane (AB). The NPs were prepared by the reduction of cobalt(II) acetylacetonate and palladium(II) bromide in the presence of oleylarnine and trioctylphosphine. Deposited on a carbon support without any specific surface treatment, these NPs were active catalysts for methanolysis of AB, and their activities were composition-dependent. Among all CoPd catalysts tested, Co48Pd52 NPs exhibited the highest catalytic activity and stability. Kinetic study showed that the catalytic methanolysis of AB was first-order with respect to catalyst concentration and zero-order with respect to AB concentration. The activation energy for the methanolysis was calculated to be 25.5 kJ mol(-1). These CoPd NPs are a promising catalyst for AB methanolysis and for developing a highly efficient hydrogen generation system for power applications.