Ru nanoparticles loaded on tannin immobilized collagen fibers for catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane

A kind of Ru-based catalyst was prepared by using a natural polyphenolic polymer (bayberry tannin, BT) immobilized on collagen fiber (CF) as the stabilizer and carrier of Ru nanoparticles (NPs) and characterized to detect its main physicochemical properties. The CF-BT-Ru catalyst was found to be in an orderly fiber morphology with Ru NPs with about diameter of 2.6 nm highly distributed on the surface. The research on catalytic activity of CF-BT-Ru focused on the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) to produce hydrogen. The influences of Ru loading, Ru dosage, AB concentration and temperature on the catalytic AB hydrolysis were investigated in detail, and the related thermodynamic parameters (activation energy (E-a), activation entropy (Delta S), activation enthalpy (Delta H) and Gibbs free energy (Delta G)) were calculated. The experimental results indicated that CF-BT-Ru exhibited high catalytic activity. Its turnover frequency (TOF) was as high as 322 molH(2).mol(Ru)(-1).min(-1) and Ea was as low as 32.41 kJ mol(-1) for AB hydrolysis. Moreover, CF-BT-Ru exhibited satisfied reusability and stability. Its activity lost only one-fifth and no obvious agglomeration and leakage of Ru NPs were found after repeated use for 5 times. (c) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A Ru-based catalyst was prepared using a natural polyphenolic polymer immobilized on collagen fiber as the stabilizer and carrier of Ru nanoparticles. The catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane to produce hydrogen, with a high TOF and low activation energy. It also showed good reusability and stability, with only minor loss of activity and no agglomeration or leakage of Ru nanoparticles after repeated use.