Hydrogen Generation from NaBH4 Hydrolysis Catalyzed with Efficient and Durable Ni–Co Bimetal Catalyst Supported by ZIF-67/rGO

In this work, a novel NiCo/ZIF-67/rGO catalyst was prepared via a facile impregnation-reduction method, followed by comprehensive characterization using XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and ICP-OES techniques. This catalyst featured a hierarchical porous support consisting of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) with a high specific surface area and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with considerable electronic conductivity, along with strong synergistic interactions between Ni and Co species as well as between the deposited metals and the carbon in rGO. The NiCo/ZIF-67/rGO catalyst exhibited excellent activity in catalyzing the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 , resulting in a low activation energy ( E a ) of 21.08 kJ mol −1 and a high turnover frequency (TOF) value of 5420  \(mL_{{\textit{H}}_\text{2}}g_\textit{M}^{-1}\min^{-1}\) . The hydrogen generation rate was increased by nearly double after five cyclic experiments, demonstrating the exceptional catalytic durability of NiCo/ZIF-67/rGO. The as-prepared NiCo/ZIF-67/rGO catalyst exhibits the advantages of cost-effectiveness, durability, and superior performance for NaBH 4 hydrolysis, rendering it a promising candidate for industrial applications.