Carbon-nanotube-based rhodium nanoparticles as highly-active catalyst for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamineborane at room temperature

Abstract

In this study, we present a carbon nanotube-based Rh nanomaterial as a highly active catalyst for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamine – borane (DMAB) at room temperature. The prepared multi-walled carbon nanotube based Rh nanoparticles, called Rh NPs@ MWCNT, was readily prepared, stabilized and effectively used for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of DMAB under ambient conditions. Monodisperse Rh NPs@ MWCNT nanocatalyst was characterized by using advanced analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) etc. These analytical methods revealed that Rh nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNT were well dispersed and the average particle size was found to be 1.44 ± 0.17 nm. The catalytic experiments revealed that the new Rh NPs@MWCNT nanocatalyst has a high catalytic effect to obtain hydrogen in 3.0 equation from DMAB, and the record catalytic TOF value for the catalytic reaction catalyzed by Rh NPs@MWCNT nanocatalyst was found to be 3010.47 h−1 at room temperature. The current study presents the detailed kinetic studies of the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of DMAB catalyzed by Rh NPs@MWCNT, the results of catalytic experiments were performed at different temperatures, substrate and catalyst concentrations, the Rh NPs@MWCNT nanocatalyst was effectively used in the completion of the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of DMAB, and activation energy, enthalpy and entropy parameters. The experimental results showed that monodisperse Rh NPs@MWCNT nanocatalyst have record catalytic activity with TOF value of 3010.47 h−1, and Rh(0) nanoparticles were well dispersed on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes.