Preparation of Ni-CeO₂ Nanocomposites and Performance Analysis of Catalyzing Hydrazine Borane to Produce Hydrogen

The development of efficient noble-metal-free catalysts for the decomposition of hydrazine borane (N₂H₄BH₃, HB) to produce hydrogen is the key to achieving its practical application as a hydrogen source for fuel cell. In this work, CeO₂ was introduced around the active center Ni by co-precipitation method to disperse and stabilize metal nanoparticles, forming a Ni-CeO₂ catalyst, which can achieve efficient hydrogen production from hydrazine borane by regulating the interaction between the metal and the support. The experimental results show that the catalyst prepared by coprecipitation method (Ni-CeO₂) has better catalytic activity than that prepared by traditional impregnation method (Ni/CeO₂-IMP). The TOF value of Ni-CeO₂ catalyst for hydrogen production from N₂H₄BH₃ at 323 K under alkaline condition is 31.6 h^–1, which is 3.2 times that of Ni/CeO₂-IMP catalyst. The excellent catalytic activity of Ni-CeO₂ is attributed to its strong metal-support interaction (MSI) with much oxygen defects and basic sites in the catalyst. The Ni-MO_x (M=Ce, La, Nd, Y, Mg, Zr and Al) prepared by this method can significantly improve the activity and hydrogen selectivity of Ni for hydrogen production from hydrazine borane, indicating that the synthesis strategy of this catalyst is universal and conducive to its practical application in fuel cells.