Abstract
Development of efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction is of key importance for the safe storage and utilization of hydrogen from the hydrolysis of NaBH4. In this study, a series of nanocatalysts containing iron- and nickel-based metal borides were developed through a mechanochemical route followed by a wet milling step. The use of the mole ratio of metal chlorides to NaBH4 as 1:2 enabled the simultaneous formation of Ni3B and FeB phases, while the room-temperature synthesis method caused a uniform morphology with an average particle size and surface are of 70 nm and 41.8 m2/g, respectively. This powder showed the best catalytic performance compared to other samples with a hydrogen generation rate value of 758 ml H2 min−1 gcat−1 at room temperature and an activation energy of 40.8 kJ/mol. The catalyst performed good durability for each cycle and retained about 70% of its initial catalytic activity after 5 cycles. The availability of active iron, nickel, and boron species on the surface contributed to the enhancement of catalytic activity. As-prepared catalysts can be considered as low-cost and reusable materials for the efficient hydrolysis of sodium borohydride.
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