Catalytic Hydrogen Generation from Boron-Based Compounds

Catalytic hydrogen generation from boron-based compounds has emerged as a versatile route for on-demand hydrogen supply, driven by the high hydrogen content and relative safety of carriers such as ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃) and sodium borohydride (NaBH₄). These materials release hydrogen via hydrolysis or methanolysis reactions under mild conditions when activated by suitable catalysts. Efforts have focused on designing heterogeneous catalysts that combine high activity, stability and affordability. Noble metals like ruthenium and platinum often provide benchmark performance, yet their cost and scarcity have spurred exploration of non-noble metals (for example nickel, cobalt and their alloys) supported on engineered frameworks. Advances in support architectures—ranging from mesoporous silicas and metal-organic frameworks to porous carbon networks—have enabled precise control of metal dispersion, electronic structure and water-activation pathways. Photocatalytic and interface-engineering strategies further enhance reaction rates by harnessing light or manipulating electronic metal-support interactions. Such developments hold promise for portable power systems, fuel-cell refuelling and distributed energy storage, contributing to the global transition towards low-carbon societies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Researchers have fabricated ultrafine ruthenium nanoparticles confined within the uniform pores of a mesoporous silica matrix, achieving exceptionally high turnover frequencies for hydrogen evolution from both ammonia borane and hydrazine borane at ambient temperature. The catalyst exhibits low activation energies and robust stability over multiple cycles, demonstrating the benefits of nanoscale confinement and strong metal-support interactions in accelerating dehydrogenation kinetics.

Another study introduced a spatially separated bicomponent catalyst comprising NiO and Pt nanoparticles on an alumina scaffold. In situ absorption spectroscopy revealed that hydrogen species generated at NiO sites migrate back to Pt sites—a reverse spillover effect—significantly boosting hydrogen release rates. This mechanism was confirmed across analogous CoOx–Pt and NiO–TiO₂–Pt systems, offering a blueprint for designing multi-site catalysts with synergistic activation pathways.

Catalytic Hydrogen Generation from Boron-Based Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in catalytic hydrogen generation from boron-based compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Hydrolysis: Chemical reaction in which a compound reacts with water, liberating hydrogen gas.

Methanolysis: Reaction between a boron hydride and methanol that generates hydrogen.

Turnover frequency (TOF): Number of hydrogen molecules produced per active site per unit time, indicating catalytic activity.

Reverse spillover: Migration of activated hydrogen atoms from one catalytic component back onto another, enhancing overall hydrogen release.

Metal-support interaction: Electronic or structural interplay between metal nanoparticles and their support material that influences catalytic behaviour.

References

1. Recent Advances and Perspectives on Supported Catalysts for Heterogeneous Hydrogen Production from Ammonia Borane. Advanced Science (2023).
2. Heterogeneous and homogenous catalysts for hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of aqueous sodium borohydride (NaBH4) solutions. Energy Science & Engineering (2015).
3. Ruthenium nanoparticles confined in SBA-15 as highly efficient catalyst for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane and hydrazine borane. Scientific Reports (2015).
4. Enhanced hydrogen generation by reverse spillover effects over bicomponent catalysts. Nature Communications (2022).
5. A step‐growth strategy to grow vertical porous aromatic framework nanosheets on graphene oxide: Hybrid material‐confined Co for ammonia borane methanolysis. Carbon Energy (2023).
6. Modulating Electronic Metal‐Support Interactions to Boost Visible‐Light‐Driven Hydrolysis of Ammonia Borane: Nickel‐Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Phosphorus‐Doped Titania. Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2023).
7. Bimetallic Ni-Co nanoparticles as an efficient catalyst of hydrogen generation via hydrolysis of NaBH4. Journal of Alloys and Compounds (2022).