Enhanced ammonia-borane decomposition by synergistic catalysis using CoPd nanoparticles supported on titano-silicates

Pd and CoxPd1−x nanoparticles (NPs), synthesized using the reduction by solvent method, were loaded on SiO2 and Ti–SiO2 supports. The resulting catalysts were tested in the ammonia-borane decomposition reaction under dark and UV-vis conditions. The synergistic promotion by Co (in the NPs) and Ti (in the support), combined with the UV-vis light irradiation, enhanced the catalytic activity showing very promising TOFs values for this kind of catalysis, from 1.53 to 49.5 mol H2 per mol Pd per min.We thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), Generalitat Valenciana and FEDER (Projects CTQ2015-66080-R MINECO/FEDER and PROMETEOII/2014/010) for financial support. J. G. A. thanks the MINECO for his fellowship (BES-2013-063678), with special thanks for the mobility grant of MINECO (EEBB-I-15-10219) at Osaka University