Amine-functionalized carbon nanotubes supported NiAuPd nanoparticles as an efficient in-situ prepared catalyst for formic acid dehydrogenation.

Hydrogen (H 2) generation from formic acid (FA) decomposition is a promising route in practical application of hydrogen energy. As a promising H 2 supplier, besides the advantage of high H 2 content and excellent stability, FA can also be used as a mild reducing agent. Herein, an in-situ prepared NiAuPd nanoparticles (NPs) supported on amine-functionalized carbon nanotubes (NiAuPd/NH 2 -CNTs) with FA as the reducing agent is successfully developed at room temperature. The as-prepared NiAuPd/NH 2 -CNTs are directly used for the catalytic decomposition of FA, exhibiting excellent activity and 100% H 2 selectivity with the initial turnover frequency (TOF initial) value of 699.1 and 3006.1 mol H 2 mol Pd-1 h-1 at 303 and 333 K, respectively. Moreover, the additive sodium formate (SF) can further facilitate the reduction process and enhance the catalytic performance, with the TOF initial value of 4391.1 mol H 2 mol Pd-1 h-1 at 333 K, which are comparable to most of the reported heterogeneous catalysts with the complicated post-treatment. The excellent catalytic performance of NiAuPd/NH 2 -CNTs is mainly attributed to the high dispersion of NPs and the boost effect of -NH 2 group on O–H cleavage. This work provides a feasible strategy to design in-situ prepared catalysts for the efficient high-quality H 2 generation from FA for fuel cells application. [Display omitted] • NiAuPd/NH 2 -CNTs is successfully synthesized via a simple in-situ reduction method. • NiAuPd/NH 2 -CNTs shows excellent catalytic performance for FA dehydrogenation. • CA and –NH 2 group play key roles in modifying the formation and growth of metal NPs. • Synergistic effect between Ni, Au and Pd can improve the catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]