Abstract

The development of heterostructure catalysts with high activity and reusability is of great significance for the green hydrogen production from NaBH₄. In this paper, a novel CoNi-CoO_x nanoparticle with Schottky heterostructure (UCC-30) was synthesized using a high-temperature annealing method. The successful preparation of catalysts with varying contents of CoO was achieved through the precise control of ultrasonication conditions. The experimental results demonstrated that the CoNi-CoO_x catalysts exhibited remarkable catalytic performance and were capable of significantly reducing the activation energy for NaBH₄ hydrolysis, with an activation energy of 24.61 ± 0.51?kJ/mol. The hydrogen production rate (HGR) of NaBH₄ + UCC-30 reached 1245?mL?min^-1${\text{g}}_{\text{cat}}^{?1}$${\text{g}}_{\text{cat}}^{?1}$ at 298?K, which was conspicuously higher than that of similar non-precious metal catalysts. Microstructural studies have demonstrated that CoNi-CoO_x has a considerable catalytically active area in addition to Schottky moieties, which collectively contribute to the creation of multiple active sites, thereby improving the catalytic efficiency. Moreover, the catalytic capacity of NaBH₄+UCC-30 remained at 81.9% after five cycles at 298?K, indicating potential application in practical hydrogen production cases. It is noteworthy that the introduction of the Schottky structure can adjust the catalytic effect of CoNi alloy materials, thereby providing guidance for the future design and fabrication of efficient catalysts for hydrogen production and other energy related research areas.