Insights into the hydrogen generation and catalytic mechanism on Co-based nanocomposites derived from pyrolysis of organic metal precursor

Hydrogen generation from boron hydride is important for the development of hydrogen economy. Cobalt (Co) element has been widely used in the hydrolysis of boron hydride. Pyrolysis is a common method for materials synthesis in catalytic fields. Herein, Co-based nanocomposites derived from the pyrolysis of organic metal precursors and used for hydrolysis of boron hydride are summarized and discussed. The different precursors consisting of MOF, supported, metal, and metal phosphide precursors are summarized. The catalytic mechanism consisting of dissociation mechanism based on oxidative addition-reduction elimination, pre-activation mechanism, SN2 mechanism, four-membered ring mechanism, and acid-base mechanism is intensively discussed. Finally, conclusions and outlooks are conveyed from the design of high-efficiency catalysts, the characterization of catalyst structure, the enhancement of catalytic activities, the investigation of the catalytic mechanism, and the catalytic stability of active structure. This review can provide guidance for designing high-efficiency catalysts and boosting development of hydrogen economy.

Acenaphthenediimine complex-bridged porphyrin porous organic polymer with enriched active sites as a robust water splitting electrocatalyst

To realize efficient water splitting, a highly promising hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst is needed for the generation of hydrogen. Herein, we demonstrate a novel acenaphthenediimine complex-bridged porphyrin porous organic polymer (NiTAPP-NiACQ) with enriched active metal sites and hierarchical pores. The as-prepared NiTAPP-NiACQ exhibits good long-term durability and remarkable HER performance in 1.0 M KOH with a low overpotential of 117 mV at 10 mA cm-2, which is comparable to many previously reported electrocatalytic HER systems. Furthermore, a simple water-alkali electrolyzer using NiTAPP-NiACQ as the cathode requires a small cell voltage of 1.59 V to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at room temperature, along with outstanding durability. NiTAPP-NiACQ features not only a metal ion as the catalytic active center in the porphyrin core but also metal ion coordination on the anthraquinone component to promote HER performance, enabling multiple metal ions as the electrocatalytic active sites for the HER reaction. The excellent HER activity of NiTAPP-NiACQ is ascribed to a combination of mechanisms. These findings highlight the viability of porphyrin-derived porous organic polymers in energy conversion processes.

Recent Advances and Perspectives on Supported Catalysts for Heterogeneous Hydrogen Production from Ammonia Borane

Ammonia borane (AB), a liquid hydrogen storage material, has attracted increasing attention for hydrogen utilization because of its high hydrogen content. However, the slow kinetics of AB hydrolysis and the indefinite catalytic mechanism remain significant problems for its large-scale practical application. Thus, the development of efficient AB hydrolysis catalysts and the determination of their catalytic mechanisms are significant and urgent. A summary of the preparation process and structural characteristics of various supported catalysts is presented in this paper, including graphite, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), metal oxides, carbon nitride (CN), molybdenum carbide (MoC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), boron nitride (h-BN), zeolites, carbon dots (CDs), and metal carbide and nitride (MXene). In addition, the relationship between the electronic structure and catalytic performance is discussed to ascertain the actual active sites in the catalytic process. The mechanism of AB hydrolysis catalysis is systematically discussed, and possible catalytic paths are summarized to provide theoretical considerations for the designing of efficient AB hydrolysis catalysts. Furthermore, three methods for stimulating AB from dehydrogenation by-products and the design of possible hydrogen product-regeneration systems are summarized. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research directions for the effective development of AB catalysts are discussed.

Covalent organic framework-supported ultrasmall Rh nanoparticles as peroxidase mimics for colorimetric sensing of cysteine

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), as a novel porous organic polymer with periodic and highly ordered structure, are ideal carrier matrix for metal nanoparticles due to high specific surface area, good stability, controllable pore size, and structural tunability. In this work, COFs are used as a carrier to in-situ grow ultrasmall rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs, ∼2.4 nm), which are uniformly distributed in the pores and on the surfaces of the COFs. The formed composite (COF-Rh) shows excellent peroxidase-mimetic activity benefiting from the good catalytic activity of ultrafine and highly dispersed Rh NPs as well as the high affinity of COFs to organic molecules (i.e., catalytic substrates). Cysteine (Cys) can inhibit the peroxidase-like activity of COF-Rh due to the interaction of -SH in Cys with Rh and the reduction of oxidized peroxidase substrate by Cys. By regulating the peroxidase-like activity of the system, a colorimetric method is successfully developed for Cys detection. Using smartphone as a readout, a portable strategy is further proposed for rapid and visual sensing of Cys.

Cobalt-Promoted Noble-Metal Catalysts for Efficient Hydrogen Generation from Ammonia Borane Hydrolysis

Ammonia borane (AB) has been regarded as a promising material for chemical hydrogen storage. However, the development of efficient, cost-effective, and stable catalysts for H₂ generation from AB hydrolysis remains a bottleneck for realizing its practical application. Herein, a step-by-step reduction strategy has been developed to synthesize a series of bimetallic species with small sizes and high dispersions onto various metal oxide supports. Superior to other non-noble metal species, the introduction of Co species can remarkably and universally promote the catalytic activity of various noble metals (e.g., Pt, Rh, Ru, and Pd) in AB hydrolysis reactions. The optimized Pt_0.1%Co_3%/TiO₂ catalyst exhibits a superhigh H₂ generation rate from AB hydrolysis, showing a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 2250 mol_H2 mol_Pt^-1 min^-1 at 298 K. Such a TOF value is about 10 and 15 times higher than that of the monometal Pt/TiO₂ and commercial Pt/C catalysts, respectively. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals that the synergy between Pt and CoO species can remarkably promote the chemisorption and dissociation of water molecules, accelerating the H₂ evolution from AB hydrolysis. Significantly, the representative Pt_0.25%Co_3%/TiO₂ catalyst exhibits excellent stability, achieving a record-high turnover number of up to 215,236 at room temperature. The excellent catalytic performance, superior stability, and low cost of the designed catalysts create new prospects for their practical application in chemical hydrogen storage.

Ultrafine Pt nanoparticles anchored on core-shell structured zeolite-carbon for efficient catalysis of hydrogen generation

Ammonia borane (AB) is a potential hydrogen storage material with high-efficiency hydrolytic dehydrogenation under a suitable catalyst. Noble metal catalysts have drawn a lot of attention. In this study, a carbon-coated zeolite was obtained by calcination at high temperatures using glucose as a carbon source. Pt nanoparticles were fixed on a core-shell composite support by a simple chemical reduction method. A series of catalysts were prepared with different synthesis parameters. The results show that PSC-2 has excellent catalytic performance for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB in alkaline solution at room temperature, and the turnover frequency (TOF) is 593 min^-1. The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to the carbon layer on the zeolite surface which inhibits the aggregation or deformation of metals in the catalytic reaction. The metal-support interaction activates the water and accelerates the rate-limiting step of hydrolysis. The activation energy (E _a = 44 kJ mol^-1) was calculated based on the reaction temperature. In addition, the kinetics of AB hydrolysis was studied, and the effects of catalyst concentration, AB concentration and NaOH concentration on AB hydrolysis rate were further investigated. The high-efficiency catalyst prepared in this work provides a new strategy for the development of chemical hydrogen production in the field of catalysis.

Bimetallic NiPt nanoparticles-enhanced catalyst supported on alginate-based biohydrogels for sustainable hydrogen production

Alginate hydrogel beads were loaded with bimetallic NiPt nanoparticles by in situ reduction of the respective polymer matrix containing precursor metallic ions using a NaBH₄ aqueous solution. The alginate hydrogel beads loaded with NiPt nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, AAS, FT-IR, TGA, XPS, and oscillatory rheometry. The prepared hybrid hydrogels were proven to be effective as catalytic materials for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) for quantitative hydrogen generation using catalytic loadings of 0.1 mol%. In addition, the reaction mechanism of the hydrolytic reaction using NiPt loaded alginate hydrogel beads was determined by Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The experimental results showed that the reaction mechanism consisted of an initial fast adsorption of reactants at the surface of the nanoparticles, followed by a rate-limiting surface reaction. The NiPt nanoalloys exhibited an enhanced behavior for hydrogen generation with a maximum TOF of 84.1 min^-1, almost 71 % higher compared to monometallic platinum atoms, and likely related to a synergistic interaction between both metals. Finally, the hydrogel matrix enabled the material to be easily recovered from the reaction medium and reused in further catalytic cycles without desorption of active nanoparticles from the material.

Modulating the Acidic Properties of Mesoporous Mox-Ni0.8Cu0.2O Nanowires for Enhanced Catalytic Performance toward the Methanolysis of Ammonia Borane for Hydrogen Production

Rational construction of inexpensive, highly efficient, and stable catalysts for ammonia borane (AB) methanolysis is in high demand but still remains a great challenge. In this work, we have successfully fabricated uniform Mo_x-Ni_0.8Cu_0.2O nanowires using a simple hydrothermal method followed by a post-calcination treatment and flexibly modulated the acidity of their surface by changing the amount of Mo introduced into Ni_0.8Cu_0.2O. The Mo_0.1-Ni_0.8Cu_0.2O catalyst displayed strong catalytic activity toward AB methanolysis with an ultrahigh turnover frequency of 46.9 mol_H2 mol_cat.^-1 min^-1, which is even higher than some noble metal catalysts. In this work, an equation regarding the relationship between the quantity of moderated acid sites of catalysts and its corresponding activity toward AB methanolysis was first determined. A plausible mechanism for AB methanolysis catalyzed by Mo_x-Ni_0.8Cu_0.2O was proposed, and the benefits of the introduction of MoO₃ to Ni_0.8Cu_0.2O for enhancing the catalytic performance were also discussed. These findings can form a basis for the rational construction of inexpensive catalysts with robust performance toward AB methanolysis for hydrogen production.

Nanopores of a Covalent Organic Framework: A Customizable Vessel for Organocatalysis

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as crystalline polymers possess ordered nanochannels. When their channels are adorned with catalytically active functional groups, their highly insoluble and fluffy powder texture makes them apt heterogeneous catalysts that can be dispersed in a range of solvents and heated to high temperatures (80-180 °C). This would mean very high catalyst density, facile active-site access, and easy separation leading to high isolated yields. Different approaches have been devised to anchor or disperse the catalytic sites into the nanospaces offered by the COF pores. Such engineered COFs have been investigated as catalysts for many organic transformation reactions. These range from Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, Heck coupling, Knoevenagel condensation, Michael addition, alkene epoxidation, CO₂ utilization, and more complex biomimetic catalysis. Such catalysts employ COF as a "passive" support that merely docks catalytically active inorganic clusters, or in other cases, the COF itself participates as an "active" support by altering the electronics of the inorganic catalytic sites through the redox activity of its framework. Even more, catalytic organic pockets or metal complexes have been directly tethered to COF walls to make them behave like single-site organocatalysts. Here, we have listed most COF-based organic transformations by categorizing them as metal-free non-noble-metal@COF and noble-metal@COF. The initial part of this review highlights the advantages of COFs as a component of a heterogeneous catalyst, while the latter part discusses all of the current literature on this topic.

Confinement synthesis in porous molecule-based materials: a new opportunity for ultrafine nanostructures

A balance between activity and stability is greatly challenging in designing efficient metal nanoparticles (MNPs) for heterogeneous catalysis. Generally, reducing the size of MNPs to the atomic scale can provide high atom utilization, abundant active sites, and special electronic/band structures, for vastly enhancing their catalytic activity. Nevertheless, due to the dramatically increased surface free energy, such ultrafine nanostructures often suffer from severe aggregation and/or structural degradation during synthesis and catalysis, greatly weakening their reactivities, selectivities and stabilities. Porous molecule-based materials (PMMs), mainly including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and porous organic polymers (POPs) or cages (POCs), exhibit high specific surface areas, high porosity, and tunable molecular confined space, being promising carriers or precursors to construct ultrafine nanostructures. The confinement effects of their nano/sub-nanopores or specific binding sites can not only effectively limit the agglomeration and growth of MNPs during reduction or pyrolysis processes, but also stabilize the resultant ultrafine nanostructures and modulate their electronic structures and stereochemistry in catalysis. In this review, we highlight the latest advancements in the confinement synthesis in PMMs for constructing atomic-scale nanostructures, such as ultrafine MNPs, nanoclusters, and single atoms. Firstly, we illustrated the typical confinement methods for synthesis. Secondly, we discussed different confinement strategies, including PMM-confinement strategy and PMM-confinement pyrolysis strategy, for synthesizing ultrafine nanostructures. Finally, we put forward the challenges and new opportunities for further applications of confinement synthesis in PMMs.

Controlled growth of ultrafine metal nanoparticles mediated by solid supports

As a unique class of nanomaterials with a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and narrow size distribution, ultrafine metal nanoparticles (UMNPs) have shown exciting properties in many applications, particularly in the field of catalysis. Growing UMNPs in situ on solid supports enables precise control of the UMNP size, and the supports can effectively prevent the aggregation of UMNPs and maintain their high catalytic activity. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress in controlled growth of UMNPs using various solid supports and their applications in catalysis.

Co-CeOx nanoparticles anchored on a nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheet: a synergistic effect for highly efficient hydrolysis of sodium borohydride

Amorphous and electron-rich Co-CeO_x nanoparticles anchored on a N-doped porous carbon nanosheet show remarkable catalytic performance for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride.

Recent developments of nanocatalyzed liquid-phase hydrogen generation

Hydrogen is the most effective and sustainable carrier of clean energy, and liquid-phase hydrogen storage materials with high hydrogen content, reversibility and good dehydrogenation kinetics are promising in view of "hydrogen economy". Efficient, low-cost, safe and selective hydrogen generation from chemical storage materials remains challenging, however. In this Review article, an overview of the recent achievements is provided, addressing the topic of nanocatalysis of hydrogen production from liquid-phase hydrogen storage materials including metal-boron hydrides, borane-nitrogen compounds, and liquid organic hydrides. The state-of-the-art catalysts range from high-performance nanocatalysts based on noble and non-noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) to emerging single-atom catalysts. Key aspects that are discussed include insights into the dehydrogenation mechanisms, regenerations from the spent liquid chemical hydrides, and tandem reactions using the in situ generated hydrogen. Finally, challenges, perspectives, and research directions for this area are envisaged.

Activating Co nanoparticles on graphitic carbon nitride by tuning the Schottky barrier via P doping for the efficient dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane

A highly active Mott–Schottky nanocatalyst for the efficient dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane was constructed by rationally tuning the Schottky barrier of Co/P_xCN (P-doped g-C₃N₄) via simply varying the doping amount of P atoms.

Hydrogen Generation upon Nanocatalyzed Hydrolysis of Hydrogen-Rich Boron Derivatives: Recent Developments

ConspectusProduction of hydrogen from nonfossil sources is essential toward the generation of sustainable energy. Hydrogen generation upon hydrolysis of stable hydrogen-rich materials has long been proposed as a possibility of hydrogen disposal on site, because transport of explosive hydrogen gas is dangerous. Hydrolysis of some boron derivatives could rapidly produce large amounts of hydrogen, but this requires the presence of very active catalysts. Indeed, late transition-metal nanocatalysts have recently been developed for the hydrolysis of a few hydrogen-rich precursors.Our research group has focused on the improvement and optimization of highly performing Earth-abundant transition-metal-based nanocatalysts, optimization of remarkable synergies between different metals in nanoalloys, supports including positive synergy with nanoparticles (NPs) for rapid hydrogen generation, comparison between various endo- or exoreceptors working as homogeneous and heterogeneous supports, mechanistic research, and comparison of the nanocatalyzed hydrolysis of several boron hydrides.First, hydrogen production upon hydrolysis of ammonia borane, AB (3 mol H₂ per mol AB) was examined with heterogeneous endoreceptors. Thus, a highly performing Ni@ZIF-8 nanocatalyst was found to be superior over other Earth-abundant nanocatalysts and supports. With 85.7 mol_H2·mol_cat^-1·min^-1 at 25 °C, this Ni nanocatalyst surpassed the results of previous Earth-abundant nanocatalysts. The presence of NaOH accelerated the reaction, and a remarkable pH-dependent "on-off" control of the H₂ production was established. Bimetallic nanoalloys Ni-Pt@ZIF-8 showed a dramatic volcano effect optimized with a nanoalloy containing 2/3 Ni and 1/3 Pt. The rate reached 600 mol_H2·mol_cat^-1·min^-1 and 2222 mol_H2·mol_Pt^-1·min^-1 at 20 °C, which much overtook the performances of both related nanocatalysts Ni@ZIF-8 and Pt@ZIF-8. Next, hydrogen production was also researched via hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (4 mol H₂ per mol NaBH₄) using nanocatalysts in ZIF-8, and, among Earth-abundant nanocatalysts, Co@ZIF-8 showed the best performance, outperforming previous Co nanocatalysts. For exoreceptors, "click" dendrimers containing triazole ligands on their tripodal tethers were used as supports for homogeneous (semiheterogeneous) catalysis of both AB and NaBH₄ hydrolysis. For both reactions, Co was found to be the best Earth-abundant metal, Pt the best noble metal, and Co₁Pt₁ the best nanoalloy, with synergistic effects. Based on kinetic measurements and kinetic isotope effects for all of these reactions, mechanisms are proposed and the hydrogen produced was further used in tandem reactions. Overall, dramatic triple synergies between these nanocatalyst components have allowed hydrogen release within a few seconds under ambient conditions. These nanocatalyst improvements and mechanistic findings should also inspire further nanocatalyst design in various areas of hydrogen production.

Noble-metal-free nanocatalysts for hydrogen generation from boron- and nitrogen-based hydrides

We focus on the recent advances in non-noble metal catalyst design, synthesis and applications in dehydrogenation of chemical hydrides (e.g. NaBH₄, NH₃BH₃, NH₃, N₂H₄, N₂H₄BH₃) due to their high hydrogen contents and CO-free H₂ production.

Encapsulating low-coordinated Pt clusters within a metal–organic framework induces spatial charge separation boosting photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

A strategy is developed to synthesize MOF photocatalyst encapsulating low-coordinate Pt clusters with high photocatalytic hydrogen-evolution performance under visible light.