Hedgehog-like Pd/Nitride Nanocone Facilitates Bubble Detachment for High-Rate Photothermal Hydrogen Release

The practical application of formic acid for large-scale hydrogen storage is constrained by its low H2 production rates. Conventional strategies rely on excessive chemical additives to accelerate the initial deprotonation step for efficient dehydrogenation. However, this approach is energy-consuming and compromises the intrinsic hydrogen storage density (53 g L–1) of formic acid. Here, we tackle this challenge by designing a floatable photothermal reaction platform featuring hedgehog-like Pd-nitride nanocones supported on carbon fiber sheets. Leveraging the structure-induced floating and superaerophobicity design, this platform enables instantaneous bubble detachment from reactive sites, facilitating local product removal and thereby propelling deprotonation without additives. Consequently, an exceptional H2 production rate of 478 mmol g–1 h–1 was achieved from pure formic acid, tripling the rate of the current top-performing catalytic materials. This strategy offers fresh perspectives into liquid hydrogen carrier dehydrogenation, enabling simultaneously high-rate hydrogen production and high hydrogen storage density.