A new reactivation method towards deactivation of honeycomb ceramic monolith supported cobalt–molybdenum–boron catalyst in hydrolysis of sodium borohydride

Abstract

Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is considered as being a promising hydrogen carrier. The monolith supported-catalyst is highly prized in the practical NaBH4-based hydrogen generation system due to simple design of hydrogen generator, controllability of reaction and easy separation from the spent solution. In the present study, honeycomb ceramic monolith supported cobalt–molybdenum–boron catalyst was prepared using a modified electroless plating method. The resultant catalyst exhibits an impressive activity towards hydrolysis of NaBH4 solution, which can release 4.2 wt% H2 in 20 wt% stabilized NaBH4 solution with fast kinetics and 100% fuel conversion, but its catalytic activity gradually declines over cycles. To recover the initial reactivity of catalyst, low temperature calcination treatment at 120 °C in air was found to be an effective reactivation method towards the deactivation of catalyst in hydrolysis of NaBH4.