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Application of Silver Nanoparticles Supported over Mesoporous Carbon Produced from Sustainable Sources as Catalysts for Hydrogen Production

Erik Biehler, Qui Quach and Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah (fattah@cnu.edu)
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Erik Biehler: Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
Qui Quach: Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah: Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606, USA

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: The growing population and increasingly competitive economic climate have increased the demand for alternative fuel sources, with hydrogen being one of the more viable options. Many metal hydrides, including sodium borohydride, are capable of releasing hydrogen stored within chemical bonds when reacted with water, but the rate of generation is slow and therefore necessitates a catalyst. Silver nanoparticles, which were chosen due to their known catalytic activity, were synthesized from sodium citrate and were embedded in mesoporous carbon to form a nano-composite catalyst (Ag-MCM). This composite was characterized via Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Catalytic testing showed that the catalytic activity for the Ag-MCM catalyst increased with increasing NaBH 4 concentration, low pH, and high temperatures. The Ag-MCM catalyst resulted in the activation energy at 15.6 kJ mol −1 , making it one of the lowest seen activation energies for inorganic catalysts. Lastly, the Ag-MCM catalysts showed stability, producing, on average, 20.0 mL per trial for five consecutive trials. This catalytic ability along with the cheap, carbon-based backbone that is made from readily available corn starch, makes it a promising catalyst for the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 .

Keywords: silver nanoparticles; mesoporous carbon; sustainable source; hydrogen production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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