Work

Synergistic Co-Fe-Mo nanoparticles on a leaching-resistant SiO2-melamine-formaldehyde support for robust and high-performance NaBH4 hydrolysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: NaBH 4 hydrolysis can supply hydrogen safely and on demand, provided the catalyst is both cheap and long-lived. Here, trimetallic Co-Fe-Mo nanoparticles were grown on a SiO 2 support wrapped in a thin melamine–formaldehyde (MF) layer, added to protect the silica from alkaline leaching. XRD, BET, XPS, Raman, FTIR, TGA, and electron microscopy confirmed metal anchoring without disturbing the support. The optimal formulation, 40 wt% Co-Fe-Mo on 0.1 g support, delivered 12,646 mL.min −1 .gcat −1 of hydrogen at a turnover frequency of 0.402 s −1 (30 °C, 1 wt% NaBH 4 , 5 wt% NaOH), outperforming most reported cobalt-based catalysts without an energy-intensive synthesis route. Kinetic fitting with nth-order and Langmuir-Hinshelwood formulations returned activation energies of 51.7 and 52.4 kJ.mol −1 . Across five reuse cycles the catalyst held ∼99% NaBH 4 conversion, with post-cycling HR-FESEM, XRD, Raman and FTIR showing no structural degradation. These results position Co-Fe-Mo/SiO 2 -MF as a durable, non-noble-metal catalyst suited to scaled-up hydrogen generation.

Source: Fuel

DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2026.141683

Authors: Kaan Büyükkanber, Sergio Navalón, Ömer Şahin

Institutions: Istanbul Technical University, Universitat Politècnica de València

Language: English

Topic: Hydrogen Storage and Materials

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,330