High catalytic activity of palladium nanoparticles supported on chitosan based biomass nanofibers for hydrogen generation from formic acid

A novel material useful for hydrogen generation from formic acid has been developed. In this study, palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) were supported on chitosan based biomass nanofibers (BiNFi‑s chi), which were prepared by disintegrating chitosan derived raw materials to the nanoscale. PdNPs were immobilized onto the nanofibers via an impregnation method, and the resulting Pd/BiNFi‑s chi catalyst exhibited remarkably high activity toward hydrogen generation from formic acid. SEM analysis confirmed that the freeze dried Pd/BiNFi‑s chi retained its fibrous morphology, while XRD showed no detectable Pd diffraction peaks, indicating that Pd was immobilized on amino groups as highly dispersed, ultrafine nanoparticles. BET measurements further revealed strong interactions between the adsorbate and the fiber surface, contributing to higher catalytic activity relative to conventional chitosan based materials. These findings demonstrate the potential of chitosan based biomass nanofibers as an effective support for metal nanoparticles in efficient hydrogen production.