Surfactant-aided synthesis of RhCo nanoclusters as highly effective and recyclable catalysts for the hydrolysis of methylamine borane and dimethylamine borane

Abstract

In the present study, the first ever and easy surfactant-aided synthesis of hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide-stabilized RhCo nanoclusters (Rh_0.63Co_0.37@CTAB) and their employment as highly efficient, relatively cost-saving, and recyclable catalysts to generate hydrogen from the hydrolysis reactions of methylamine borane (MeAB) and dimethylamine borane (DMAB) are reported. The easy synthesis of Rh_0.63Co_0.37@CTAB nanoclusters is accomplished by synchronous reduction of appropriate rhodium and cobalt salts by sodium borohydride in the presence of CTAB as a surfactant in aqueous solution at room temperature. The Rh_0.63Co_0.37@CTAB nanoclusters are characterized by some techniques like ultraviolet-visible electronic absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). They provide very remarkable turnover frequencies (TOFs) of 107.1 min⁻¹ and 142.9 min⁻¹ (8571.4 h⁻¹, best ever value) in the hydrolysis of MeAB and DMAB, respectively, even at very low temperatures. Their activation energies in the same reactions are calculated to be 55.3 kJ mol⁻¹ and 50.3 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively.