Highly efficient hydrogen production from alkaline aldehyde solutions facilitated by palladium nanotubes

Herein, we demonstrate that hollow Pd nanotubes could serve as a highly efficient and convenient catalyst for inhibiting Cannizzaro reaction and facilitating hydrogen generation from alkaline formaldehyde solution at room temperature. Moreover, this hollow nanostructure exhibits much higher capability and stability for hydrogen production than conventional Pd nanoparticles. By further optimizing the reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, formaldehyde concentrations, and NaOH concentrations, the hydrogen generation rates could be further increased. Moreover, except for formaldehyde, other aldehydes, including acetaldehyde, propanal, and benaldehyde, could also produce hydrogen with high efficiencies. Owing to its high efficiency at room temperature, this Pd nanotube based hydrogen generation reaction may serve as an alternate hydrogen supply candidate. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.