Cu-based tri-metallic nanoparticles with noble metals (Ag, Pd, and Ir) and their catalytic activities for hydrogen generation

Abstract The growth of simple and cost effective heterogeneous catalysts for the release of hydrogen is the key technological challenge for the fuel-cell based hydrogen economy. Stepwise metal displacement plating method was used for the fabrication of Cu0-based nanoparticles, Cu–Ag–Ir, Cu–Pd–Ir, and Cu–Ag–Pd to generate hydrogen from hydrazine hydrogen storage material. The preliminary indications of CuNPs production were the appearance of red-chocolate color with NaBH4, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) under light emitting diode (LED) irradiation. Ag and Pd were deposited on the surface of Cu0 by rapid reduction with NaBH4 in SDS. Catalytic activity of trimetallic (Cu–Pd–Ir, Cu–Ag–Ir, Cu–Ag–Pd)) were higher than that of bimetallic (Cu–Ag, Cu–Ir, and Cu–Pd) due to the synergistic effect and electron interactions between the three metals. The catalytic performance of these materials depends on the structure of outer, and middle metal layers over a Cu inner metal. The nessler's reagent solution was employed to trap ammonia formation along with evolution of hydrogen generation. Cu25–Pd25–Ir50 exhibited the superior catalytic activity, with rate constant of 5.6 × 10−4 s−1 at 303 K, activation energy of 32 kJ/mol, activation enthalpy of 30 kJ/mol, and turn over frequency of 350 h−1.