Palladium Nanoparticle Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composite as Catalyst for Hydrogen Production by the Hydrolysis of Sodium Borohydride

A palladium nanoparticle/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite (Pd/MWCNT) was produced, characterized, and tested for catalytic activity in a hydrogen evolution reaction. The characterization included transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which confirmed the presence of the nanoparticles on the walls of the MWCNTs, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and SEM–energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). TEM characterization showed the 20–35 nm diameter of the MWCNTs and the 2–4 nm diameter of the palladium nanoparticles. The composite outperformed the precursor MWCNTs and Pd nanoparticles and performed best at pH 7 at 295 K with 835 μmoles producing hydrogen at a rate of 23.0 mLmin–1gcat–1. Variation of the temperature of the reaction allowed the calculation of the activation energy, which is 62.66 kJ/mol, showing its promise as a heterogeneous catalyst for hydrogen evolution reactions.