Zeolite Supported Ni and Co Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation via Hydrolysis of NaBH4

Zeolite supported nanostructured Ni and Co catalysts were synthesized at ambient conditions by cation-exchange reaction followed by a reduction of the adsorbed ions by NaBH4. Using UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy it was concluded that obtained products contained up to 3 wt. % of metal catalysts while the formed metallic nanoparticles were evenly distributed at the surface of the zeolite granules. Kinetics of hydrolysis of NaBH4 in presence of Ni and Co based catalysts has been characterized and related to the rate of hydrogen generation. Using both amorphous and zeolite supported Ni and Co nanocatalysts leads to a stable generation of hydrogen in wide range of NaBH4 concentrations and results in high extent of its conversion. Both amorphous and zeolite supported Ni and Co allow achieving a fast kinetics of hydrogen evolution, even though synthesized “in situ” amorphous Ni and Co showed a performance which was 25 % superior as compared to the catalysts deposited on zeolite. In combination with the high stability of the obtained nanocatalysts this suggests a potential of their application in the systems for hydrogen generation.