Efficient and durable H2 production from NaBH4 methanolysis using N doped hybrid g-C3N4-SiO2 composites with ammonia as a nitrogen source

In this study, a hybrid g-C3N4-SiO2-N composite was successfully produced in three stages by calcination and hydrothermal methods. The g-C3N4-based composite catalyst obtained by both N-doping and SiO2 addition was used in H2 production from NaBH4 methanolysis for the first time. In the NaBH4 methanolysis reaction, the electron-rich and electron-deficient surface regions formed on this catalyst surface with modifications made the electron transfer more efficient and significantly improved the catalytic performance. The maximum HGR was found to be 11400 mL min-1 g-1 at a concentration of 0.25 g NaBH4. The obtained HGR value shows that the gC3N4-SiO2-N catalyst obtained in three steps has achieved its purpose. The activation energy (Ea) was calculated as 33.2 kJ mol-1. g-C3N4-SiO2-N demonstrated good durability, retaining 71% of the initial catalytic activity after five consecutive experiments.