Hydrogen evolution from NaBH4 solution using Cr-doped Ni–B metallic catalyst deposited on rice husk via electroless plating

Abstract

Hydrogen evolution through the catalytic hydrolysis of NaBH4 by transition metals holds great promise for sustainable green energy production. In this study, we presented an electroless process for synthesizing Cr-doped Ni–B catalysts supported on rice husks. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the NaBH4 hydrolysis were systematically investigated. The crystallography confirmed the formation of Ni and Cr connected to B. 0.8 wt% Cr also significantly impacted the Ni–B activity and enhanced the hydrogen generation rate from 394 to 801 ml min−1.g−1 at 32 °C. Based on Kinetics, NaBH4 hydrolysis by Ni–B–Cr0.8 needs an activation energy of 50.64 kJ mol−1 and follows zero- and first-order kinetics concerning NaBH4 and catalyst weight. After five cycles reusability, the Ni–B–Cr0.8 revealed excellent stability and kept its activity almost constant in basic NaBH4 solution.