NaBH4 Hydrolysis for Hydrogen Generation over Metal-Organic Frameworks (Cu-BTC)

Abstract

Hydrogen gas (H2) is widely acknowledged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy carrier. In this study, we examined the potential of copper-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs); copper-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (Cu-BTC), as catalysts for the release of hydrogen through the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). Cu-BTC exhibited a hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 4386 mLH2 gcat-1 min-1 using low catalyst loading of 1 mg. The effect of the reactant weight percentage of NaBH4 (0.2-3 wt/wt.) at room temperature was investigated. Thermal analysis of the hydrolysis process revealed that Cu-BTC MOF exhibits low activation energy of 41.7 kJ mol-1. The study investigated the recyclability of the catalyst and found that Cu-BTC could sustain the catalyst for hydrogen generation for up to four cycles without any noticeable decline in performance. This research demonstrated that Cu(BTC) is an inexpensive, efficient, and reusable catalyst for generating hydrogen through hydride hydrolysis.