An effective amino acid-assisted growth of ultrafine palladium nanocatalysts toward superior synergistic catalysis for hydrogen generation from formic acid

Abstract

The highly efficient hydrogen generation system is crucial for clean energy. In this work, a facile and effective amino acid-assisted strategy has been developed to grow ultrafine and well-dispersed Pd nanoparticles (average diameter ≤1.9 nm) onto mesoporous carbon. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of formic acid with 100% selectivity and completion under mild conditions, affording a turnover frequency (TOF) value as high as 5723 h⁻¹ at 333 K, among the highest reported so far. Thus, the presented approach will greatly promote formic acid as a promising hydrogen storage material in practical applications and in the fabrication of highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for various reactions.