Application of Palladium Mesoporous Carbon Composite Obtained from a Sustainable Source for Catalyzing Hydrogen Generation Reaction

Alternative fuel sources are necessary in today’s economic and environmental climate. Hydrogen fuel arises as an environmentally friendly and energy dense option; however, the volatility of hydrogen gas makes it dangerous to store and utilize. The evolution of hydrogen from hydrogen feedstock materials may prove to overcome this safety barrier, but a catalyst for this reaction is necessary to optimize production. In this work, a composite catalyst comprised of palladium nanoparticles embedded on mesoporous carbon materials (Pd-MCM) was synthesized and characterized by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Powder X-Ray diffraction (P-XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscope (EDS). Various reaction conditions such as concentration of reactant, temperature, and pH were applied in measuring the catalytic activity of Pd-MCM. Results show the catalytic activity of the Pd-MCM composite catalysts increased with increasing concentrations of sodium borohydride, increasing temperature, and lower pH. The reaction involving the Pd-MCM composite had an activation energy of 27.9 kJ mol−1. Reusability trials showed the Pd-MCM composite remained stable for up to five consecutive trials.