Hydrogen production from formic acid catalyzed by NHC–Cu complexes

Key Points

• To investigate the catalytic decomposition of formic acid for hydrogen production using NHC–Cu complexes.
• Utilized NHC–Cu complexes for the decomposition of formic acid in the presence of PhSiH3.
• Examined the catalytic efficiency based on varying amine types by using an equimolar mixture of formic acid and amine.
• Only hydrogen was generated in the presence of PhSiH3 while CO2 was captured by silane species.
• An equimolar mixture of H2 and CO2 was produced from the decomposition with an amine.
• Catalytic efficiency varied significantly depending on the type of amine used.