AuPd Nanocatalysts\nSupported on Citric Acid-Modified\nBoron Nitride to Boost Hydrogen Generation from Formic Acid Dehydrogenation

Formic\nacid (FA) dehydrogenation is a potential technology for\nsustainable hydrogen production, while the tardy nature of FA dehydrogenation\ninhibits its development. To optimize the catalytic activity of hydrogen\ngeneration from formic acid dehydrogenation, citric acid-modified\nboron nitride with abundant −NH₂ (CA–BN-NH₂) is employed as a support to control the particle distribution,\nparticle size, and electronic structure of AuPd nanoparticles. The\nobtained Au_0.3Pd_0.7/CA–BN-NH₂ exhibits extraordinary catalytic activity for hydrogen production\nfrom FA dehydrogenation, possessing 100% hydrogen selectivity and\nan unprecedented initial turnover frequency (TOF) of 7046 mol H₂ mol catalyst^–1 h^–1 without\nany additive, outperforming most of the reported noble metal catalysts\nunder similar conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images,\nX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and density functional\ntheory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the extraordinary catalytic\nactivities are mainly due to the geometric effect and electronic effect\nof AuPd nanoparticles derived from the modification of h-BN with citric\nacid and the accompanying −NH₂. This work provides\nmore flexibility for designing highly efficient nanocatalysts for\nhydrogen generation from FA dehydrogenation.