Efficient hydrogen generation from the NaBH4 hydrolysis by amorphous Co–Mo–B alloy supported on reduced graphene oxide

Amorphous Co–Mo–B alloy supported on reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) was synthesized by chemical reduction method. Detailed characterizations revealed that catalysts still maintained the amorphous structure with the introduction of r-GO. The appropriate amount of graphene oxide not only favors the dispersion and stabilization of Co–Mo–B alloy due to synergistic effect of metal support but also effectively reduces the particle size in the fabrication process. Compared with unsupported Co–Mo–B, Co–Mo–B/r-GO-3 hybrid exhibited higher hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 4689.5 $$\text{mL}\, {\text{min}}^-1\, {\text{g}}^-1$$ , a smaller average grain size of 28.35 nm and better durability and recyclability that retained 70.25% of its initial activity after five cycles. An activation energy of 35.06 $$\text{kJ}\, {\text{mol}}^-1$$ was observed in Co–Mo–B/r-GO-3. These results suggest that Co–Mo–B/r-GO-3 hybrid is a promising catalyst for hydrogen generation from NaBH4 hydrolysis. Furthermore, kinetic factors such as NaBH4 concentration, NaOH concentration and temperature have also been investigated to influence the rate of hydrolysis of NaBH4.