Abstract
We report on Ni nanoparticles supported on boron nitride spheres (BNSP) and sheets (BNSH) as catalysts for hydrogen generation via hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB). The Ni/BN catalysts were prepared through a redox replacement reaction. The structure, morphology, and chemical composition of the obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP). The characterization results showed that Ni nanoparticles were well dispersed on the BNSP and BNSH supports for the four Ni/BN catalysts prepared (Ni atomic contents of 6.8, 9.0, 9.2, and 12 wt%). The catalytic activity toward the hydrolysis of AB was found to correlate with the loading of the Ni/BN catalysts, which showed great cycle performance. Theoretical calculations revealed that BN sheets significantly influenced the electric character of Ni catalysts and thereby their catalytic properties.
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