Activity of Electroless Deposited Transition Metal-Catalyst for the Alcoholysis of Ammonia Borane

Catalysts based on electroless nickel and bi-metallic nickel-cobalt nanoparticles were synthesized for the alcoholysis of ammonia borane for hydrogen generation. The catalysts were synthesized by polymer-stabilized Pd nanoparticle-catalyzation and activation of TiO2 substrate and electroless Ni or Co-Ni plating of the substrate for selected time lengths. Catalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts was tested for the alcoholysis of ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃) for hydrogen generation. The effects of electroless plating time lengths, temperature and NH₃BH₃ concentration on hydrogen generation rates were analyzed and discussed. Compositional analysis and surface morphology were carried out for nano-metallized TiO2 using Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis (EDAX). The activity of the electroless-deposited transition metal-catalysts - both under stirred and unstirred conditions - will be analyzed and discussed. The kinetics and the activation energy of the hydrogen generation alcoholysis using the catalyst will be presented.