Hydrogen generation from alkaline NaBH4 solution using a dandelion-like Co–Mo–B catalyst supported on carbon cloth

Abstract

In this study, a dandelion-like Co–Mo–B catalyst was prepared on carbon cloth (CC) by two-step electrodeposition method for the first time. The composition and microscopy are characterized by XRD and SEM technology. The results revealed that the as-synthesized Co–Mo–B catalyst exhibited high hydrogen generation rate (1280.80 mL min−1 g−1) and low activation energy (51.0 kJ mol−1) for the hydrolysis of alkaline NaBH4 solution. The results reveal that the reason might be due to high specific surface of the novel dandelion-like nanostructure and the synergistic effect of Co, Mo and B. Moreover, the catalytic activity was closely related to NaOH concentration, and OH– anions were competitive with BH4– anions in alkaline NaBH4 solution to transfer to the catalyst surface.