Carbon-supported Ni1−x@Ptx (x = 0.32, 0.43, 0.60, 0.67, and 0.80) core–shell nanoparticles as catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane

We report on the carbon supported Ni core–Pt shell Ni1−x@Ptx/C (x = 0.32, 0.43, 0.60, 0.67, and 0.80) nanoparticles as catalysts for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH3BH3). The catalysts are prepared through a polyol synthesis process with oleic acid as the surfactant. The structure, morphology, and chemical composition of the obtained samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results show that the Ni core–Pt shell nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the carbon surface with the diameters of 2–4 nm, and furthermore, the catalysts show favorable performance toward the hydrolysis of NH3BH3. Among the nanoparticles, Ni0.33@Pt0.67/C displays the highest catalytic activity, delivering a high hydrogen release rate of 5469 mL min−1 g−1 and a low activation energy of 33.0 kJ mol−1.