P-022

Raminta Šakickaitė

raminta.sakickaite@ftmc.lt

Zita Sukackienė, Loreta Tamašauskaitė-Tamašiūnaitė

Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Vilnius, Lithuania

Comparative Study of CoW and CoMoW Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation via NaBH₄ Hydrolysis

In light of the European Union's (EU) strategic emphasis on attaining climate neutrality by the year 2050, as evidenced by the rollout of the European Green Deal and the EU Hydrogen Strategy in 2021, the significance of hydrogen as a pivotal energy carrier has been underscored [1]. Catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is a promising method for hydrogen production because it has a high gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity (10.8 wt.%), does not need external energy, and can be stored as a stable solid until it is used [2]. NaBH4 hydrolysis can produce hydrogen in mild conditions, it is a good option for use in portable devices and other applications where hydrogen is needed on demand.

In this study, Cobalt-Tungsten (CoW) catalysts were modified by introducing Molybdenum (Mo) to synthesize Cobalt-Molybdenum-Tungsten (CoMoW) catalysts, enabling a comparative evaluation of their properties. Catalysts were synthesized via the electroless plating method, using morpholine borane (C4H12BNO) as the reducing agent. The structural and compositional properties of the catalysts were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Their catalytic activity was assessed in the hydrolysis of NaBH4, using a 5 wt.% NaBH4 + 0.4 wt.% NaOH solution within a temperature range of 30 – 70 °C. The results provide valuable insights into the catalytic behavior of these materials and their potential role in advancing hydrogen generation technologies.

[1] European Commission. Energy, Climate change, Environment. Hydrogen. Website: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/eus-energy-system/hydrogen_en 

[2] Wang, Y., & Liu, X. (2021). Catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride for hydrogen production using magnetic recyclable CoFe2O4-modified transition-metal nanoparticles. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 4(10), 11312-11320.