Ni–Mo2C Nanocomposites as Highly Efficient Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation from Hydrolysis of Ammonia Borane

Supported non-noble metal nanomaterials have attracted much interest due to their promising application prospects in heterogeneous catalysis. γ-Al 2 O 3 -supported Ni–Mo x C catalysts have been synthesized using an impregnation method, followed by the carburization at 993 K under a 5% H 2 /Ar flow. The synthesized NiMo x C/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalysts are characterized and first tested in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH 3 BH 3, AB) at 298 K. The X-ray photoelectron spectra analysis shows that the incorporation of Mo x C can enhance the dispersion of surface Ni and consequently improve the catalytic performance of NiMo x C/γ-Al 2 O 3 in AB hydrolysis. The highest turnover frequency value of 75.1 min –1 toward the AB hydrolysis is obtained for 10Ni30Mo x C/γ-Al 2 O 3 under the investigated reaction conditions. The kinetic studies of H 2 evolution at a temperature range of 293–323 K determined an activation energy ( E a ) value of 33.12 kJ mol –1 over 10Ni30Mo x C/γ-Al 2 O 3 . Experimental results indicate that the synergistic effect of Ni and Mo 2 C is contributed to the high catalytic activity of 10Ni30Mo x C/γ-Al 2 O 3 . The obtained results in this work suggest that the hexagonal Mo 2 C can be a promising material in catalytic hydrogen generation from AB hydrolysis.