Mesoporous silica supported cobalt catalysts for hydrogen generation in hydrolysis of ammonia borane

Abstract

Mesoporous silica supported cobalt boride (Co–B) catalysts are rationally designed for hydrogen generation in ammonia–borane hydrolysis reactions under ambient conditions. Cobalt boride catalysts are supported on three different mesoporous silica, including beta-zeolite seeded MCM-41 (Co@M41S) and traditional MCM-41 (Co@M41T) via chemical adsorption onto functionalized surface with 3-trihydroxysilylpropylmethylphosphonate (THPMP), and one-step co-precipitation into mesoporous silica framework (Co@M41C). Our preparation strategies provide two insights to the reactions: first, cobalt oxide species are intrinsically deposited as ultra-small nanoparticles (<2 nm) on mesoporous silica supports; subsequently the nanoparticles are converted to active Co–B catalysts by reduction with sodium borohydride (SB). Three catalysts exhibit significant differences in catalytic reactivities with hydrogen production rates ranked in an order of Co@M41S > Co@M41T > Co@M41C. Detailed analysis of the coordination environments from in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results confirm reducibility in SB. Amorphous nature of Co–B catalysts are responsible for efficient catalytic activity in Co@M41S and Co@M41T. Ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) demonstrates support acidity that correlates to the degree of high dispersity and effective reducibility to Co–B. Effects from catalyst sizes, reducibility in SB treatment and surface acidity are studied in detail to compare catalytic reactivities among three types of supports.