Metal nanoparticles supported on polyacrylamide water beads as catalyst for efficient generation of H2 from NaBH4 methanolysis

Water beads made from polyacrylamide polymer p-(AAm) were decorated with high efficient metal nanoparticles by inexpensive, fast, simple, and environmental friendly method. These water beads balls were kept in the metal salt solutions for 4 h; to adsorb the metals ions from these aqueous solutions. The metal ions decorated on the p-(AAm) water beads were converted to metal nanoparticles by its reduction with aqueous solution of NaBH4. The prepared materials p-(AAm) loaded with MNPs (M@p-(AAm)) were characterized by ATR-FTIR, XRD, XPS, FESEM, and EDS which show the successful preparation of MNPs over the surface and within p-(AAm). Afterwards the M@p-(AAm) were investigated as a catalyst for the generation of hydrogen from the methanolysis of NaBH4. The Ag@p-(AAm) show good catalytic activity for NaBH4 methanolysis reaction as compared to the other loaded MNPs. In addition, different parameters which effecting H-2 generation were also investigated such as; MNPs types, catalyst amount and temperature of the reaction. Low activation energy (Ea) of 21.37 +/- 0.67 kJ mol(-1), was calculated for NaBH4 methanolysis reaction at temperature ranging from 5.0 degrees C to 35 degrees C. Moreover, the catalyst reusability was also studied and found no decrease in percent conversion, however percent efficiency was decreases about 37% after completion of four cycles. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.