Co0.8Cu0.2MoO4 Microspheres Composed of Nanoplatelets as a Robust Catalyst for the Hydrolysis of Ammonia Borane

Catalytic hydrolytic dehydrogenation of chemical hydrides is a safe and efficient way to provide hydrogen fuel for new energy vehicles and portable electronic devices. Currently, cost-efficient and high performance catalysts must be developed before the large-scale application of this hydrogen production technology can proceed. In this work, we prepared a series of Co x Cu 1– x MoO 4 microspheres composed of nanoplatelets by a green approach free of any organics, such as surfactant, complexing agent, or organic solvent. For the first time, the catalytic activity of Co x Cu 1– x MoO 4 in the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) was investigated. It is found that there is a synergistic effect between CoMoO 4 and CuMoO 4 in Co x Cu 1– x MoO 4 toward the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB. Among those Co x Cu 1– x MoO 4 catalysts, Co 0.8 Cu 0.2 MoO 4 exhibits the highest catalytic activity with a turnover frequency of 55.0 mol H2 min –1 mol catalyst –1, which is one of the most active noble-metal-free catalysts toward AB hydrolysis. It is revealed that the active species are the CoCu alloy nanoparticles supported on the Co 0.8 Cu 0.2 MoO 4 microsphere. Additionally, the Co 0.8 Cu 0.2 MoO 4 catalyst demonstrates good reusability, making it a robust catalyst for AB hydrolysis to generate hydrogen in practical applications.