High-performance nickel-platinum nanocatalyst supported on mesoporous alumina for hydrogen generation from hydrous hydrazine

The catalyst with high activity, 100% selectivity and good durability is highly desirable in developing a hydrous hydrazine-based hydrogen generation system. Herein we report the synthesis of nickel-platinum (Ni-Pt) bimetallic nanoparticles supported on mesoporous alumina (MA) using a simple one-pot evaporation-induced self-assembly method. The Ni-Pt/MA catalyst exhibits excellent activity and satisfactory stability for selectively catalyzing the decomposition of hydrous hydrazine to generate hydrogen at mild temperatures, which compares favorably with the performance of the catalysts developed to date. The facile synthesis of high-performance and cost-effective Ni-based catalyst is of clear significance for the development of hydrous hydrazine as a viable hydrogen carrier. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.