Ultrafast and stable hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride in methanol and water over Fe–B nanoparticles

Use of environmentally friendly hydrogen as fuel on a massive scale requires efficient storage and generation systems. Chemical hydrides, such as sodium borohydride (NaBH4), have the capacity to meet these needs as demonstrated by its high hydrogen storage efficiency. Here, we first report the catalytic activity of Fe–B nanoparticles supported on porous Ni foam – synthesized via a simple chemical reduction technique – for hydrogen generation from the mixtures of NaBH4, H2O, and CH3OH. Activation energies of the catalyzed hydrolysis (64.26 kJ mol−1) and methanolysis (7.02 kJ mol−1) are notably lower than other metal-boron catalysts previously reported. Methanol, in combination with a cheap but highly active Fe–B nanocatalysts, provides ultrafast rates of low temperature hydrogen generation from the sodium borohydride solutions.