Hydrogen Production by the Heterogeneous Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid: A Review

The review discusses the latest advances in the study of heterogeneous metal-containing catalysts for the production of an environmentally friendly energy carrier—hydrogen—by the dehydrogenation of formic acid (FA), which is an available and low-toxic substance. Although the activity of homogeneous catalysts in the FA dehydrogenation reaction is higher than that of heterogeneous catalysts, the use of the latter makes it possible to simplify the technology and improve the environmental safety of hydrogen production from FA. An increase in the efficiency of heterogeneous FA dehydrogenation catalysts based on noble metals (Pd, Au, Ag) is achieved by developing novel methods for synthesizing monometallic, bimetallic, and trimetallic nanoparticles on various supports. The review compares the efficiency of various heterogeneous nanocatalysts in the FA dehydrogenation reaction and discusses various factors (metal nature, nanoperticle size and composition, support nature) that affect the activity and hydrogen selectivity of the catalysts. A significant increase in activity in the FA dehydrogenation reaction is achieved by intensifying the interaction of metal nanoparticles with the surface of a chemically modified support, which contributes to a decrease in the size of nanoparticles, an increase in the uniformity of their distribution on the support, and a change in the electronic state of the metal. Advances in the development of industrial heterogeneous catalysts for the production of pure hydrogen from FA will provide a significant contribution to the development of hydrogen power engineering.