Visible-light-enhanced catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane using RuP2 quantum dots supported by graphitic carbon nitride

Abstract

Hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) driven by efficient catalysts has attracted considerable attention and is regarded as a promising strategy for hydrogen generation. Herein, RuP2 quantum dots supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were successfully prepared by in-situ phosphorization, yielding a highly efficient photocatalyst toward AB hydrolysis. The catalysts were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. A conventional water-displacement method was employed to record the hydrogen volume as a function of reaction time. Owing to visible-light irradiation, the initial turnover frequency of the AB hydrolysis was significantly enhanced by 110% (i.e., 134 min−1) at room temperature. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy decreased from 67.7 ± 0.9 to 47.6 ± 1.0 kJ mol−1. The photocatalytic hydrolysis mechanism and catalyst reusability were also investigated.