Palladium (0) nanoparticles distributed on lanthanum (III) oxide as an effective catalyst for the methanolysis of hydrazine-borane to produce hydrogen

Pd (0) nanoparticles (NPs) distributed on lanthanum (III) oxide were ex situ generated from the reduction of Pd2+ ions using NaBH4 as reducing agent. The Pd/La2O3 displayed good catalytic activity in H2(g) releasing from the hydrazine-borane (HB) methanolysis reaction and it was identified by advanced techniques. Pd/La2O3 was found to be an active catalyst procuring three equiv. H2(g) per mole of HB. The results from TEM images represent the formation of Pd (0) NPs with an average particle size of 1.94 +/- 0.1 nm on the surface of La2O3. Moreover, Pd/La2O3 with various Pd loadings were prepared and tested as catalyst in the methanolysis reaction to find the optimum metal loading on La2O3 support. The highest H2 formation rate was achieved with 3.0 wt% Pd. Pd/La2O3 catalyst exhibited a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 24.4 mol H2 mol Pd-1 min-1 in the reaction conditions. Additionally, the effect of different catalyst concentrations and temperatures on the reaction kinetics for the methanolysis of HB catalyzed by Pd/La2O3.