Ruthenium-catalysed decomposition of formic acid: Fuel cell and catalytic applications

The decomposition of formic acid into H-2 and CO2 was successfully performed using a ruthenium hydride catalyst, without any concomitant CO evolution. The reaction mechanism is investigated by means of density functional theory calculations (DFT). The generated H-2 was further exploited in a fuel cell to produce electricity. The catalytic hydrogenation of conjugated olefins, using this dihydrogen generation procedure, is also reported. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved