UiO-66 as a catalyst for hydrogen production via the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride

Abstract

The exploration of a highly efficient catalyst for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) is a valuable step toward a hydrogen economy. UiO-66 (Universitetet i Oslo) was synthesized via a solvothermal method using acetic acid as a modulator. The material was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Data analysis reveals the formation of a pure and highly crystalline phase of UiO-66 with the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Langmuir specific surface areas of 1125 m² g⁻¹, and 1250 m² g⁻¹, respectively. UiO-66 was analysed as a catalyst for hydrogen generation via the hydrolysis of NaBH₄. The effect of the NaBH₄ amount and catalyst loading was investigated. The reaction time decreased with an increase of the amount of NaBH₄ or UiO-66. UiO-66 exhibited an average hydrogen generation rate of 6200 mL min⁻¹ g⁻¹. The high catalytic performance of UiO-66 could be due to its large surface area and acidic sites. The results suggested that UiO-66 showed high potential to catalyze the hydrogen production via the hydrolysis of hydrides.