Hydrogen Generation from Sodium Borohydride Solution Catalyzed By Cobalt-Boron-Manganese Coated on Ni Foam Substrate

Abstract

In this study the cobalt-boron-manganese (CoBMn) films were deposited on the nickel foam (Nifoam) substrate and used as catalysts for hydrogen generation from an alkaline sodium borohydride solution. Thin CoBMn films were deposited on the Ni foam using morpholine borane as a reducing agent. The morphology and composition of the prepared catalysts were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Catalytic activity of the CoBMn/Ni foam catalyst was determined by measuring the amount of hydrogen generated directly from aqueous alkaline solutions of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) at different solution temperatures from 40 to 70 °C and compared with that of CoB/Ni foam. It was found that the rate of catalytic hydrolysis of NaBH4 in an alkaline solution catalyzed by the CoB/Ni foam and CoBMn/Ni foam increases exponentially with increase in reaction temperature. The activation energy was determined from the kinetic data. Significantly greater hydrogen generation rate is obtained at the CoBMn/Ni foam as compared with that at CoB/Ni foam. Acknowledgment This research was funded by a grant (No. M-ERA.NET-1/2016) from the Research Council of Lithuania.