Hydrolysis of Ammonia Borane Using a Carbon Dot-Mediated Cu–Cu2O Nanocatalyst Enabled with Photothermal and Photocatalytic Coupling

Hydrolysis of stable hydrogen-rich ammonia borane (AB) enables the rapid release of large amounts of hydrogen, but this always requires the presence of expensive noble metal-based nanocatalysts, hindering the practical utilization of AB. Here, we use carbon dots (CDs) to modulate components of Cu-based nanocomposite as a low-cost and high-activity nanocatalyst for the hydrolysis of AB. To further accelerate the hydrolysis reaction of AB, an interfacial photothermal and photocatalytic coupling system is designed with CD-modulated Cu-based nanocomposites for realizing the multipronged effects in the activation of H2O and hydrogen evolution reactions from AB solution. Under a simulated sunlight irradiation of 1 kW m–2, the maximum volume of hydrogen production for this system reaches 783 mL·g–1·cm–2, which is above triple that of the traditional catalyst-suspended state. Moreover, this coupling system possesses superior stability and is easily recycled without the burden of high energy consumption and complex installation. Our presented method provides a feasible path for designing multifunctional nanocatalysts and accelerating catalytic reactions.