Thermolytic dehydrogenation of cotton-structured SiO2-Ammonia borane nanocomposite

Thermal dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) is one of the simplest methods to generate pure hydrogen for hydrogen power-driven proton exchange membrane fuel cells. For AB thermolysis, it is imperative to develop a highly effective catalyst to initiate the dehydrogenation reaction at a low temperature and eventually achieve enhanced hydrogen production. Here, we introduce a specifically designed AB-SiO2 nanocomposite, which is prepared by simple mixing and pressing processes. Hydrogen evolution during thermolysis of the cotton-structured AB-SiO2 composite is initiated at around 80 degrees C, and the maximum H-2 yield is determined to be 11.2 wt% (2.32 mole equivalents of H-2). The yield is found to depend on the size and size distribution of the catalytic SiO2 particles in the hydrogen fuel composite. (C) 2020 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.