High Efficiency Palladium Nanoparticles Synthesized on Volcanic Ash for Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of Sodium Borohydride

Abstract

A large portion of the world's energy consumption is provided by fossil fuel sources. However, these fossil fuel resources are heading towards depletion and causing serious health problems to the environment. Accessing renewable environmentally friendly energy sources is of great importance. Recent studies highlight hydrogen energy as a very serious alternative energy source. We report the production of a new and highly active nanoparticle system consisting of palladium nanoparticles (Pd(0)NPs) impregnated on volcanic ash (VASH) for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation reaction of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). Pd(0)NPs on VASH can be reproducibly prepared by the conventional impregnation-reduction method. The catalytic performance of new Pd(0)@VASH NPs in the hydrolytic dehydrogenetin of NaBH4 was investigated. Characterization of Pd(0)@VASH nanoclusters was carried out using advanced techniques (ICP-OES, FTIR, SEM, SEM-EDX- Elemental mapping, N2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, XPS). Based on the data of the rich kinetic study, the activation parameters (Ea, ΔH≠ and ΔS≠) of the hydrolytic dehydrogenation reaction of sodium borohydride using the Pd(0)@VASH nanocatalyst were determined. The nature of the rate equation of the hydrolytic dehydrogenation reaction of sodium borohydride was elucidated.