Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized palladium–platinum nanoparticles-catalyzed hydrolysis of ammonia borane for hydrogen generation

Abstract

The catalytic use of highly efficient poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized palladium–platinum nanoparticles (4.2 ± 1.9 nm) in the hydrolysis of ammonia-borane is reported. The catalyst is prepared by co-reduction of two metal ions in ethanol/water mixture by an alcohol reduction method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. They are recyclable and highly active for hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of ammonia-borane even at very low concentrations and temperature, providing a record numbers of average turnover frequency value (125 mol H2/mol cat.min−1) and maximum hydrogen generation rate (3468 L H2min−1 (mol cat)−1). They also provide activation energy of 51.7 ± 2 kJ/mol for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane.