Integration of morphology and electronic structure modulation on cobalt phosphide nanosheets to boost photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane hydrolysis

The controllable and safe hydrogen storage technologies are widely recognized as the main bottleneck for the accomplishment of sustainable hydrogen energy.Ammonia borane(AB)has regarded as a competitive candidate for chemical hydrogen storage.However,developing efficient yet high-performance catalysts towards hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis remains an enormous challenge.Herein,cobalt phosphide nanosheets are synthesized by a facile salt-assisted along with low-temperature phosphidation strategy for simultaneously modulating its morphology and electronic structure,and function as hydrogen evolution photocatalysts.Impressively,the Co_(2)P nanosheets display extraordinary performance with a record high turnover frequency of 44.9 min^(-1),outperforming most of the noble-metal-free catalysts reported to date.This remarkable performance is attributed to its desired nanosheets structure,featuring with high specific surface area,abundant exposed active sites,and short charge diffusion paths.Our findings provide a novel strategy for regulating metal phosphides with desired phase structure and morphology for energy-related applications and beyond.

Anomalous metastable hcp Ni nanocatalyst induced by non-metal N doping enables promoted ammonia borane dehydrogenation

Developing high-performing non-noble transition metal catalysts for H_(2) evolution from chemical hydrogen storage materials is of great significance for the hydrogen economy system, yet challenging. Herein,we present for the first time that anomalous metastable hexagonal close-packed Ni nanoparticles induced by heteroatom N doping encapsulated in carbon(N-hcp-Ni/C) can exhibit admirable catalytic performance for ammonia borane(AB) dehydrogenation, prominently outperforming conventional fcc Ni counterpart with similar morphology and favorably presenting the state-of-the-art level.Comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies unravel that unusual hcp phase engineering of Ni together with N doping could induce charge redistribution and modulate electronic structure, thereby facilitating H_(2)O adsorption and expediting H_(2)O dissociation(rate-determining step). As a result, AB dehydrogenation can be substantially boosted with the assistance of N-hcp-Ni/C. Our proposed strategy highlights that unconventional crystal phase engineering coupled with non-metal heteroatom doping is a promising avenue to construct advanced transition metal catalysts for future renewable energy technologies.

Ammonia borane-enabled hydrogen transfer processes:Insights into catalytic strategies and mechanisms

Transfer hydrogenation(TH) with in situ generated hydrogen donor is of great importance in reduction reactions, and an alternative strategy to traditional hydrogenation processes involving pressurized molecular hydrogen. Ammonia borane(NH3BH3, AB) is a promising material of hydrogen storage, and it has attracted much attention in reductive organic transformations owing to its high activity, good atom economy, nontoxicity, sustainability, and ease of transport and storage. This review focuses on summarizing the recent progress of AB-mediated TH reactions of diverse substrates including nitro compounds, nitriles, imines, alkenes, alkynes, carbonyl compounds(ketones and aldehydes), carbon dioxide,and N-and O-heterocycles. Syntheses protocols(metal-containing and metal-free), the effect of reaction parameters, product distribution, and variation of reactivity are surveyed, and the mechanism of each reaction involving the action mode of AB as well as structure-activity relationships is discussed in detail. Finally, perspectives are presented to highlight the challenges and opportunities for AB-enabled TH reactions of unsaturated compounds.

A step‐growth strategy to grow vertical porous aromatic framework nanosheets on graphene oxide:Hybrid material‐confined Co for ammonia borane methanolysis

The rational synthesis of a two-dimensional(2D)porous aromatic framework(PAF)with a controllable growth direction remains a challenge to overcome the limitation of traditional stacked 2D materials.Herein,a step-growth strategy is developed to fabricate a vertically oriented nitrogen-rich porous aromatic framework on graphene oxide(V-PAF-GO)using monolayer benzidine-functionalized GO(BZ-GO)as a molecular pillar.Then,the confined Co nanoparticle(NP)catalysts are synthesized by encapsulating ultra-small Co into the slit pores of V-PAF-GO.Due to the high nitrogen content,large specific surface area,and adequate slit pores,the optimized vertical nanocomposites V-PAF-GO provide abundant anchoring sites for metal NPs,leading to ultrafine Co NPs(1.4 nm).The resultant Co/V-PAF-GO catalyst shows an extraordinary catalytic activity for ammonia borane(AB)methanolysis,yielding a turnover frequency value of 47.6 min−1 at 25°C,comparable to the most effective non-noble-metal catalysts ever reported for AB methanolysis.Experimental and density functional theory studies demonstrate that the electron-donating effect of N species of PAF positively corresponds to the low barrier in methanol molecule activation,and the cleavage of the O–H bond in CH3OH has been proven to be the rate-determining step for AB methanolysis.This work presents a versatile step-growth strategy to prepare a vertically oriented PAF on GO to solve the stacking problem of 2D materials,which will be used to fabricate other novel 2D or 2D–2D materials with controllable orientation for various applications.

Bimetallic RuM(M=Co,Ni)Alloy NPs Supported on MIL-110(AI):Synergetic Catalysis in Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane

By adjusting various Ru/M （M=Co, Ni） molar ratios, a series of highly dispersed bimetallic RuM alloy nanoparticles （NPs） anchored on MIL-110（Al） have been successfully prepared via a conventional impregnation-reduction method. And they are first used as heterogeneous catalysts for the dehydrogenation reaction of AB at room temperature. The results reveal that the as-prepared RulCo1@MIL-110 and RulNi1@MIL-110 exhibit the highest catalytic activities in different RuCo and RuNi molar ratios, respectively. It is worthy of note that the turnover frequency （TOF） values of Ru1Co1@MIL-110 and Ru1Ni1@MIL-110 catalysts reached 488.1 and 417.1 mol H2 min-1 （mol Ru）-1 and the activation energies （Ea） are 31.7 and 36.0 k J/tool, respectively. The superior catalytic performance is attributed to the bimetallic synergistic action between Ru and M, uniform distribution of metal NPs as well as bi-functional effect between RuM alloy NPs and MIL-110. Moreover, these catalysts exhibit favorable stability after 5 consecutive cycles for the hydrolysis of AB.

Interface electron collaborative migration of Co–Co3O4/carbon dots:Boosting the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Ammonia borane(AB)is an excellent candidate for the chemical storage of hydrogen.However,its practical utilization for hydrogen production is hindered by the need for expensive noble-metal-based catalysts.Herein,we report Co-Co3O4 nanoparticles(NPs)facilely deposited on carbon dots(CDs)as a highly efficient,robust,and noble-metal-free catalyst for the hydrolysis of AB.The incorporation of the multiinterfaces between Co,Co3O4 NPs,and CDs endows this hybrid material with excellent catalytic activity(rB=6816 mLH2 min^-1 gCo^-1)exceeding that of previous non-noble-metal NP systems and even that of some noble-metal NP systems.A further mechanistic study suggests that these interfacial interactions can affect the electronic structures of interfacial atoms and provide abundant adsorption sites for AB and water molecules,resulting in a low energy barrier for the activation of reactive molecules and thus substantial improvement of the catalytic rate.

Carbon dots-confined CoP-CoO nanoheterostructure with strong interfacial synergy triggered the robust hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane

Ammonia borane(NH_(3)BH_(3),AB) is promising for chemical hydrogen sto rage;however,current systems for rapid hydrogen production are limited by the expensive noble metal catalysts required for AB hydrolysis.Here we report the design and synthesis of a highly efficient and robust non-noble-metal catalyst for the hydrolysis of AB at 298 K(TOF=89.56 molH_(2) min^(-1) molCo^(-1)).Experiments and density functional theory calculations were performed to explore the catalyst’s hybrid nanoparticle heterostructure and its catalytic mechanism.The catalyst comprised nitrogen-doped carbon dots confining CoO and CoP,and exhibited strong interface-induced synergistic catalysis for AB hydrolysis that effectively decreased the energy barriers for the dissociation of both AB and water molecules.The co-doping of N and P introduced numerous defects,and further regulated the reactivity of the carbon layers.The heterogeneous interface design technique presented here provides a new strategy for developing efficient and inexpensive non-noblemetal catalysts that may be applicable in other fields related to energy catalysis.

Co-CoO_x supported onto TiO_(2) coated with carbon as a catalyst for efficient and stable hydrogen generation from ammonia borane

Ammonia borane(AB) can be catalytically hydrolyzed to provide hydrogen at room temperature due to its high potentaial for hydrogen storage. Non-precious metal heterogeneous catalysts have broad application in the field of energy catalysis. In this article, catalysts precursor is obtained from Co-Ti-resorcinol-formaldehyde resin by sol–gel method. Co/TiO_(2)@N-C(CTC) catalyst is prepared by calcining the precursor under high temperature conditions in nitrogen atmosphere. Co-CoO_x/TiO_(2)@N-C(COTC) is generated by the controllable oxidation reaction of CTC. The catalyst can effectively promote the release of hydrogen during the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB. High hydrogen generation at a specific rate of 5905 m L min^(-1) g_(Co)^(-1) is achieved at room temperature. The catalyst retains its 85% initial catalytic activity even for its fifth time use in AB hydrolysis. The synergistic effect among Co, Co_(3)O_(4) and TiO_(2) promotes the rate limiting step with dissociation and activation of water molecules by reducing its activation energy. The applied method in this study promotes the development of non-precious metals in catalysis for utilization in clean energy sources.

Core-shell structured nanospheres with mesoporous silica shell and Ni core as a stable catalyst for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Core-shell structured nanospheres with mesoporous silica shell and Ni core(denoted as Ni@meso-SiO2) are prepared through a three-step process. Monodispersed Ni precursors are first prepared, and then coated with mesoporous SiO2. Final Ni@meso-SiO2spheres are obtained after calcination. The products are characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and N2adsorption-desorption methods. These spheres have a high surface area and are well dispersed in water, showing a high catalytic activity with a TOF value of 18.5,and outstanding stability in hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane at room temperature.

Single Pt Atoms Supported on Oxidized Graphene as a Promising Catalyst for Hydrolysis of Ammonia Borane

Based on density functional theory calculations,the full hydrolysis of per NH3BH3 molecule to produce three hydrogen molecules on single Pt atoms supported on oxidized graphene(Pt1/Gr-O)is investigated.It is suggested that the first hydrogen molecule is produced by the combination of two hydrogen atoms from two successive B-H bonds breaking.Then one H2O molecule attacks the left*BHNH3 group(*represents adsorbed state)to form*BH(H2O)NH3 and the elongated O-H bond is easily broken to produce*BH(OH)NH3.The second H2O molecule attacks*BH(OH)NH3 to form*BH(OH)(H2O)NH3 and the breaking of O-H bond pointing to the plane of Pt1/Gr-O results in the desorption of BH(OH)2NH3.The second hydrogen molecule is produced from two hydrogen atoms coming from two H2O molecules and Pt1/Gr-O is recovered after the releasing of hydrogen molecule.The third hydrogen molecule is generated by the further hydrolysis of BH(OH)2NH3 in water solution.The rate-limiting step of the whole process is the combination of one H2O molecule and*BHNH3 with an energy barrier of 16.1 kcal/mol.Thus,Pt1/Gr-O is suggested to be a promising catalyst for hydrolysis of NH3BH3 at room temperature.

Polymer Film Supported Bimetallic Au–Ag Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ammonia Borane in Alkaline Media

Ammonia borane is widely used in most areas including fuel cell applications.The present paper describes electrochemical behavior of ammonia borane in alkaline media on the poly(p-aminophenol) film modified with Au and Ag bimetallic nanoparticles.The glassy carbon electrode was firstly covered with polymeric film electrochemically and then,Au,Ag,and Au–Ag nanoparticles were deposited on the polymeric film,respectively.The surface morphology and chemical composition of these electrodes were examined by scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.It was found that alloyed Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles are formed.Electrochemical measurements indicate that the developed electrode modified by Au–Ag bimetallic nanoparticles exhibit the highest electrocatalytic activity for ammonia borane oxidation in alkaline media.The rotating disk electrode voltammetry demonstrates that the developed electrode can catalyze almost six-electron oxidation pathway of ammonia borane.Our results may be attractive for anode materials of ammonia borane fuel cells under alkaline conditions.

Chemoselective Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes with Ammonia Borane Catalyzed by Copper N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes

Herein,we present a method for the homogeneous hydrogenation of nitroarenes to produce anilines using low catalyst loading(1 mo%)of copper N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as the catalyst and ammonia borane as the source of hydrogen.A wide range of nitroarenes,featuring diverse functional groups,were selectively transformed into their corresponding primary aromatic amines with high yields.This process can be readily scaled up and exhibits compatibility with various sensitive functional groups,including halogen,trifluoromethyl,aminomethyl,alkenyl,cyano,ester,amide,and hydroxyl.Notably,this catalytic methodology finds application in the synthesis of essential drug compounds.Mechanistic investigations suggest that the in-situ-generated Cu-H species may serve as active intermediates,with reduction pathways involving species such as azobenzene,1,2-diphenylhydrazine,nitrosobenzene,and N-phenylhydroxylamine.

Constructing ultrafine monodispersed Co_(2)P/(0.59-Cu_(3)P)on Cu doped CoZn-ZIF derived porous N-doped carbon for highly efficient dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Rational construction of highly dispersed,small size,low cost catalysts for release of hydrogen from ammonia borane(AB)is regarded as a prospective approach for promoting the development of upcoming hydrogen economy.However,the high price and scarcity of precious metal catalysts impose restrictions on their large-scale application.To this end,with the aid of a Cu doped CoZn-zeolitic imidazolate frameworks(ZIFs)template strategy,we successfully construct ultrafine monodispersed Co_(2)P/(0.59-Cu_(3)P)on CoZn-ZIF derived porous N-doped carbon(Co_(2)P/(0.59-Cu_(3)P)-NC)as an efficient non-noble-metal catalyst.Specifically,Co and Cu atoms can be geometrically separated to high degree due to the presence of Zn in the CuCoZn-ZIF precursor,evaporation of Zn during pyrolysis can generate porous structure with the framework well maintained.The results show that porous Co_(2)P/(0.59-Cu_(3)P)-NC bimetallic phosphide exhibits large specific surface area,hierarchical pore structure,well-exposed active sites.Based on the kinetics analyses and ion effects,the catalyst has achieved an unprecedentedly high total turnover frequency(TOF)of 798 mol·molcat^(−1)·min^(−1)in 0.4 M NaOH solution at 298 K,which surpasses all the ever-reported transition-metal phosphides catalysts for hydrogen generation from AB.Experiments and theoretical studies confirm that the highly porous structure of the support,the ultrafine and high dispersion of nanoparticles,the N/P doping and their synergistic effects(e.g.,M-P,M-N,N-C,M-M',M-support)jointly induce strong electron transfer,which can reduce the reaction energy barrier and enhance their interaction with AB,thus correspondingly obtaining excellent catalytic performance.The mechanism and strategy presented in this work pave an avenue for the design of non-noble metal catalyst for hydrogen energy system.

A review on hydrogen production from ammonia borane:Experimental and theoretical studies

Ammonia borane(NHsBH3,AB)is an ideal raw material of hydrogen production with higher hydrogen storage capacity.In this paper,the catalytic processes of AB dehydrogenation were described from different ways,including thermal dehydrogenation,hydrolysis,methanolysis,photocatalysis and photopiezoelectric synergy catalysis with experimental research and theoretical calculations.Catalyst models include bulk materials,two-dimensional materials,nanocluster particles and single/diatomic structures.Among them,the proportion of H2 released is different,and the reaction conditions are also different,which are suitable for different application scenarios.Through this review,we could have a preliminary comprehensive understanding of AB dehydrogenation reaction.

Heterostructuring 2D Co_(2)P nanosheets with 0D CoP via a saltassisted strategy for boosting hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane hydrolysis

Ammonia borane(NH3BH3,AB)holds promise for chemical storage of hydrogen.However,designing superb and low-cost photocatalyst to drive hydrogen evolution from AB under visible light irradiation is highly desirable but remains a major challenge for promoting the practical utilization of AB.Herein,we demonstrated a heterostructure photocatalyst consisting of zerodimensional(0D)CoP nanoparticles immobilized on two-dimensional(2D)Co_(2)P nanosheets(CoP/Co_(2)Ps)as a high-performance and low-cost catalyst for hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis,in which 0D/2D heterostructure was synthesized using the saltinduced phase transformation strategy.Interestingly,the optimized CoP/Co_(2)Ps exhibit a robust H_(2) evolution rate of 32.1 L∙min^(−1)∙g_(Co)^(−1),corresponding to a turnover frequency(TOF)value of 64.1 min^(−1),being among the highest TOF for non-noblemetal catalysts ever reported,even outperforming some precious metal catalysts.This work not only opens a new avenue to accelerate hydrogen evolution from AB by regulating the electronic structures of heterointerfaces,but also provides a novel strategy for the construction of precious-metal-free materials for hydrogen-related energy catalysis in the future.

Facile synthesis of graphene-supported Ni-CeOx nano-composites as highly efficient catalysts for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Development of low-cost and high-performance catalysts for hydrogen generation via hydrolysis of ammonia borane （NH3BH3, AB） is a highly desirable pathway for future hydrogen utilization. In this work, Ni nanocatalysts doped with CeOx and supported on graphene （Ni-CeOdgraphene） were synthesized via a facile chemical reduction route and applied as robust catalysts for the hydrolysis of AB in aqueous solution at room temperature. The as-synthesized Ni-CeOdgraphene nanocomposites （NCs） exhibited excellent catalytic activity with a turnover frequency （TOF） as high as 68.2 min-1, which is 49-fold higher than that for a simple Ni nanoparticle catalyst and is among the highest values reported for non-noble metal catalysts in AB hydrolysis. The development of efficient and low-cost Ni-CeOdgraphene catalysts enhances the feasibility of using ammonia borane as a chemical hydrogen storage material, which may find application in a hydrogen fuel-cell based economy.

Ni nanoparticles supported on carbon as efficient catalysts for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane

We report on the preparation of three kinds of Ni nanoparticles supported on carbon （Ni/C） and their application in the catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane （AB）. Three Ni/C catalysts were prepared from a Ni metal-organic framework （Ni-MOF） precursor by reduction with KBI-G calcination at 700 ℃ under Ar, and a combination of calcination and reduction, the products being denoted as Ni/C-1, Ni/C-2, and Ni/C-3, respectively. The structure, morphology, specific surface area, and element valence were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectra （XPS）. The results demonstrate that Ni/C-1 is composed of amorphous Ni particles agglomerated on carbon, Ni/C-2 is characteristic of crystalline Ni nanoparticles （about 10 nm in size） supported on carbon with Ni oxidized on the surface, while the surface of the Ni particles in Ni/C-3 is less oxidized. The specific surface areas of Ni-MOF, Ni/C-1, Ni/C-2, and Ni/C-3 are 1239, 33, 470, and 451 m2·g-1, respectively. The catalytic hydrolysis of AB with Ni/C-3 shows a hydrogen generation rate of 834 mL-min^-1·g-1 at room temperature and an activation energy of 31.6 kJ/mol. Ni/C-3 shows higher catalytic activity than other materials, which can be attributed to its larger surface area of crystalline Ni. This study offers a promising way to replace noble metal by under ambient conditions. Ni nanoparticles for AB hydrolysis

One-Step Synthesis of Magnetically Recyclable Au/Co/Fe Triple- Layered Core-Shell Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Catalysts for the Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane

Magnetically recyclable Au/Co/Fe core-shell nanoparticles （NPs） have been successfully synthesized via a one-step in situ procedure. Transmission electron microscope （TEM）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopic （EDS）, and electron energy-loss spectroscopic （EELS） measurements revealed that the trimetallic Au/Co/Fe NPs have a triple-layered core-shell structure composed of a Au core, a Co-rich inter-layer, and a Fe-rich shell. The Au/Co/Fe core-shell NPs exhibit much higher catalytic activities for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane （NHBBH3, AB） than the monometallic （Au, Co, Fe） or bimetallic （AuCo, AuFe, CoFe） counterparts.

Three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene hydrogel supported Co-CeOx nanoclusters as efficient catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane

The development of highly active noble-metal-flee catalysts for catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane is mandatory for its application in hydrogen storage. Herein, Co-CeOx nanoclusters have been successfully anchored on a three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene hydrogel （NGH） by a simple coreduction method and further used as efficient catalysts to catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane at room temperature. Thanks to the strong synergistic electronic effect between Co and CeOx, as well as the strong metal-support interaction between Co-CeOx and 3D NGH, the as-synthesized Co-（CeOx）0.91/NGH catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity toward hydrolysis of ammonia borane, with the turnover frequency （TOF） value of 79.5 min 1, which is almost 13 times higher than that of Co]NGH, and higher than most of the reported noble-metal-free catalysts.

Enhanced catalytic activity of monodispersed AgPd alloy nanoparticles assembled on mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane under sunlight

We address the composition-controlled synthesis of monodispersed AgPd alloy nanoparticles （NPs）, their assembly for the first time on mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride （mpg-C3N4）, and the unprecedented catalysis of mpg-CgN4@AgPd in the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane （AB） at room temperature. Monodispersed AgPd alloy NPs were synthesized using a high-temperature organic-phase surfactant-assisted protocol comprising the co-reduction of silver（I） acetate and palladium（II） acetylacetonate in the presence of oleylamine, oleic acid, and 1-0ctadecene. This protocol allowed the synthesis of four different compositions of AgPd alloy NPs. The AgPd alloy NPs were then assembled on mpg-C3N4, reduced graphene oxide, and Ketjenblack using a liquid-phase self-assembly method. Among the three supports tested, the mpg-CBN4@AgPd catalysts provided the best activity because of the Mott-Schottky effect, which was driven by the favorable work function difference between mpg-CBN4 and the metal NPs. Moreover, the activity of the mpg-CBN4@AgPd catalyst was further enhanced by an acetic acid treatment （AAt）, and a record initial turnover frequency of 94.1 mOl（hydrogen）＇mOl（catalyst）-l-min-1 was obtained. Furthermore, the mpg-CBN4@Ag42Pdss-AAt catalyst also showed moderate durability for the hydrolysis of AB. This study also includes a wealth of kinetic data for the mpg-CBN4@AgPd-catalyzed hydrolysis of AB.