Ultrafast, dry microwave-assisted surface property modulations to boost carbon stabilized Ru nanocatalyst for catalytic hydrogen evolution. (1st February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Ting; Wang, Yi; Long, Yan; Li, Qianggen; Fan, Guangyin
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 309(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02-01
• Subjects: Microwave treatment -- Ruthenium -- Oxygen-rich carbon black -- Ammonia borane -- Catalytic hydrolysis -- Hydrogen evolution; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Graphical abstract: A green and rapid microwave-assisted solid-state strategy was developed for modulation the surface chemical and physical properties of carbon and thereby greatly adjust the particle size, dispersion, and electronic structure of Ru clusters, considerably accelerating the hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane hydrolysis. Highlights: Rapid microwave-assisted solid-state strategy was used to modify carbon black. The obtained OCB has rich oxygenated groups, defects, and tuable textural structure. The features of OCB enabled the deposition of small Ru NPs on the catalyst support. Considerable activity improvement was achievied for AB hydrolysis over Ru/OCB. Abstract: Developing a facile, ultrafast, and solid-state strategy to modulate the surface chemistry and textural properties of carbon materials and thereby tune the surface sites of metal nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on themselves is one of the most challenging work. Herein, we develop a simple, rapid but efficient microwave-assisted solid-state strategy to modify carbon black (CB) with rich oxygenated groups, defects, and tunable textural properties. The simple and ultrafast treatment in a household microwave oven for only 10 s not only introduces abundant oxygenated groups and defects but also considerably adjusts the textural properties of OCB, which are beneficial for obtaining uniformly dispersed Ru nanoclusters (2.0 nm in diameter). The achieved Ru/OCB reveals a considerable activity improvement in catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) with turnover frequencies of 602 min −1 in aqueous solution and 1240 min −1 in alkaline solution, surpassing the Ru/CB and many reported Ru-based catalysts. Kinetic isotope effect measurement indicates that the activation of O–H bond in H2 O is the rate-determining step toward AB hydrolysis. This study offers an ultrafast but efficient strategy to modify carbon materials as catalyst supports.