Abstract
A hollow Ni–Fe–B nanochain is successfully synthesized by a galvanic replacement method using a Fe–B nanocomposite and a NiCl2 solution as the template and additional reagent, respectively. Both the concentration of Ni and the morphology of the resulting Ni–Fe–B alloy are controlled by varying the duration of the replacement process during the synthesis. The Ni–Fe–B sample synthesized for 60 min (Ni–Fe–B-60) shows the best catalytic activity at 313 K, with a hydrogen production rate of 4320 mL min−1 gcat−1 and an activation energy for the NaBH4 hydrolysis reaction of 33.7 kJ mol−1. The good performance of Ni–Fe–B-60 towards the hydrolysis of NaBH4 can be ascribed to both hollow nanochain structural and electronic effects. Furthermore, the effects of temperature, catalyst amount, and concentration of NaOH and NaBH4 on the hydrolysis process are systematically studied, and an overall kinetic rate equation is obtained. The hollow Ni–Fe–B nanochain catalyst also shows good reusability characteristics and maintained its initial activity after 5 consecutive cycles.
Highlights
In recent years, hydrogen has come to be widely accepted as a source of clean energy and possible replacement for fossil fuels, which are responsible for smog, acid rain, and greenhouse effect issues.[1]
The Ni–Fe–B sample synthesized for 60 min (Ni–Fe–B-60) shows the best catalytic activity at 313 K, with a hydrogen production rate of 4320 mL minÀ1 gcatÀ1 and an activation energy for the NaBH4 hydrolysis reaction of 33.7 kJ molÀ1
Ni–Fe–B catalysts were facile synthesized by a galvanic replacement method
Summary
Hydrogen has come to be widely accepted as a source of clean energy and possible replacement for fossil fuels, which are responsible for smog, acid rain, and greenhouse effect issues.[1]. Chemical borohydride materials, such as LiBH4, NH3BH3, and NaBH4, which have high hydrogen density and low molecular weight, have drawn considerable interest as promising hydrogen storage materials.[4,5,6] Among the chemical borohydrides in contention, NaBH4 is considered the most promising source of hydrogen owing to its stability in alkaline solutions, controllable hydrogen generation rate (HGR), moderate reaction temperature, and nontoxic hydrolytic byproducts.[7,8,9] NaBH4 releases 4 mol of H2 in the presence of a catalyst, as shown in eqn (1):[3,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
