Bimetallic AuPd Nanoparticles Loaded on Amine-Functionalized Porous Boron Nitride Nanofibers for Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid

Formic acid (FA) has been considered as a promising hydrogen energy carrier due to its nontoxicity, high energy density, easy storage/transport, etc. However, the development of decent FA dehydrogenation catalysts with high selectivity, good catalytic activity, and excellent cycling performance remains a challenge. Herein, a highly stable heterogeneous catalyst using porous boron nitride nanofibers (BNNFs) as carriers has been developed for catalytic FA dehydrogenation. Taking the advantage of porous BNNFs with characteristics of high porosity and rich in surface defects and functional groups, amine groups are successfully introduced onto BNNFs (named BNNFs-A), which play an important role in synergistic catalysis reactions. Without using any additives, the prepared Au1Pd3/BNNFs-A catalytic FA dehydrogenation possesses superior catalytic activity with an initial turnover frequency (TOF) value of 1181.1 h–1 and an activation energy of 20.1 kJ mol–1. Comparative investigations and theoretical studies indicate that the excellent performance of Au1Pd3/BNNFs-A derives from the small particle sizes and high dispersion of Au1Pd3 nanoparticles on BNNFs, the modified Pd electronic structure in the Au1Pd3/BNNFs-A composite, and the synergistic effect of the modified BN surfaces. The findings of this study should provide valuable ideas for the design of BN-based catalysts.