UiO-66 as a catalyst for hydrogen production via the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride

The exploration of a highly efficient catalyst for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a valuable step toward a hydrogen economy. UiO-66 (Universitetet i Oslo) was synthesized via a solvothermal method using acetic acid as a modulator. The material was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Data analysis reveals the formation of a pure and highly crystalline phase of UiO-66 with the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Langmuir specific surface areas of 1125 m2 g-1, and 1250 m2 g-1, respectively. UiO-66 was analysed as a catalyst for hydrogen generation via the hydrolysis of NaBH4. The effect of the NaBH4 amount and catalyst loading was investigated. The reaction time decreased with an increase of the amount of NaBH4 or UiO-66. UiO-66 exhibited an average hydrogen generation rate of 6200 mL min-1 g-1. The high catalytic performance of UiO-66 could be due to its large surface area and acidic sites. The results suggested that UiO-66 showed high potential to catalyze the hydrogen production via the hydrolysis of hydrides.