Efficient Hydrogen Generation From Hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride in Seawater Catalyzed by Polyoxometalate Supported on Activated Carbon

Senliang Xi; Xiaojun Wang; Dan Wu; Xingtao Hu; Shixue Zhou; Hao Yu

doi:10.3389/fchem.2020.00676

Efficient Hydrogen Generation From Hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride in Seawater Catalyzed by Polyoxometalate Supported on Activated Carbon

Front Chem. 2020 Aug 11:8:676. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00676. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Senliang Xi¹, Xiaojun Wang¹, Dan Wu^{1

2}, Xingtao Hu^{1

3}, Shixue Zhou¹, Hao Yu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
² Research Center, Jiangsu Xinju Environmental Co., Ltd., Nantong, China.
³ Department of Research, Taian Boao Safety Evaluation Co., Ltd., Tai'an, China.

Abstract

Phosphotungstic acid (HPW) as a polyoxometalate was selected as the active component of the catalyst. The activated carbon supported different percentage of HPW catalysts were prepared by impregnation and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the HPW retained the original Keggin structure after being supported on activated carbon, the specific surface of the HPW/C was much bigger than that of pure HPW. The catalytic performance of HPW/C in the hydrogen generation reaction by hydrolysis of sodium borohydride in seawater and in deionized water were studied. 2.5 wt.% HPW/C showed the fastest hydrolysis reaction rate and the biggest volume of hydrogen generated. As for hydrolysis of sodium borohydride, catalytic effect of HPW/C was better in seawater than in distilled water. HPW dispersed on activated carbon is a real promising catalytic system for the development of hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of NaBH₄ in seawater.

Keywords: NaBH4; activated carbon; hydrogen production; polyoxometalate; seawater.