A structured Co–B catalyst for hydrogen extraction from NaBH4 solution

A structured Co–B catalyst has been developed to produce hydrogen from an alkaline NaBH4 solution. The catalyst was prepared by chemical reduction of Co precursors coated on a Ni foam support. The effects of catalyst preparation conditions on activity of the catalyst were investigated. The active catalyst was amorphous in structure and contains boron with a Co/B molar ratio of 1.5–2.8. With increasing the heat treatment temperature, the catalyst showed a maximum activity to hydrogen generation at approximately 250 °C. Adhesion of the catalyst to the support was also enhanced by heat treatment at 300–400 °C. The catalysts were successfully applied in both a batch reactor and a flow reactor for continuous generation of hydrogen.