Effective Surface Area Tuning of Noble Metal-Free CuBO₂/rGO Nanohybrid for Efficient Hydrogen Production with “On–Off” Switching

Noble metal-free CuBO2/rGO nanohybrid is synthesized and examined as a catalyst for NaBH4 hydrolysis. Detailed characterization reveals that the hybridization generates a charge imbalance between CuBO2 and rGO and creates an electron transport channel which facilitates H2 generation during NaBH4 hydrolysis. High surface roughness, consequently with high effective surface area, is obtained by varying the synthesis conditions. The high activity (specific rate activity, 2500 mL min–1 g–1) and low activation energy (49.8 kJ mol–1) establish this noble metal-free catalyst as a potential candidate in the field of fuel cell based hydrogen economy. The mechanistic investigation confirms that protonation and deprotonation can control the H2 generation kinetics and the same is validated by changing the pH of the reaction medium for an on-site and on-demand H2 production with easy “on–off” switching.