Co3O4/CuMoO4 Hybrid Microflowers Composed of Nanorods with Rich Particle Boundaries as a Highly Active Catalyst for Ammonia Borane Hydrolysis

Dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) is a promising approach for the production and use of hydrogen for industrial and fuel cell applications. The development of low-cost and highly active catalysts is critical for these practical applications. In this study, low-cost Co3O4/CuMoO4 hybrid microflowers composed of nanorods with rich particle boundaries were synthesized. Co3O4/CuMoO4 was used as a catalyst for the dehydrogenation of AB and showed a high catalytic activity with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 129.15 molhydrogen molcat–1 min–1 at room temperature. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the catalyst was found to be as low as 23.2 kJ mol–1. It was revealed that the synergistic effect between Co3O4 and CuMoO4 played a critical role in improving the catalytic activity. Co3O4 is relatively active, but a long induction time is needed when it acts as a catalyst in AB hydrolysis. In contrast, CuMoO4 is less active, but it can immediately catalytically initiate the hydrolytic reaction. When these two compound are combined as a hybrid catalyst, its catalytic performance is significantly improved. These findings can provide some new insight for those who are trying to design some noble-metal-free hybrid catalyst with high catalytic activity toward AB hydrolysis.