Synthesis and characterization of novel magnetic nano-catalyst (Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe) and their hydrogen production activity

Abstract

Due to irreparable crises for nature and people, replacing fossil fuel-based energy with green energy sources is a necessity for nature and humanity. Hydrogen is considered a clean energy transport due to its high energy density, environmental friendliness, high efficiency, and recyclable nature. This study generated hydrogen through NaBH4 ethanolysis. In hydrogen production studies, there are very few studies with magnetic nano catalysts and very few studies with cheap transition metals. In order to contribute to the literature in this field, in this study, Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe was produced for the first time and used in hydrogen production studies. Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe synthesis was successfully carried out and hydrogen production was successfully implemented. The study also utilized FT-IR, XRD, VSM, BET, and SEM-EDX methods to characterize the structural, physical, and chemical properties of MNCs. The average particle diameter and magnetization value of Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe were 12.81 nm and 30.6 emu/g, respectively. The catalysis experiment designed with 50 mg Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe and 93.75 mM NaBH4 generated 840 mL H2/g NaBH4 298 K and 947 mL H2/g NaBH4 318 K in 5-min duration, respectively. At room temperature, the hydrogen generation rate (HGR) and activation energy (Ea) of Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe reaction were calculated as 1040 mL H2/gcat·min and 5.39 kJ/mol, respectively. After the sixth cycle, the reusability test of Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe reaction still retained approximately 87% of the initial hydrogen production volume. The study concluded that Fe3O4@SiO2@EDDHA-Fe is a promising catalyst in hydrogen production from NaBH4 ethanolysis, as it is affordable and easy to prepare compared to other expensive catalysts.