In situ encapsulating cobalt phosphide into a quasi-MOF: a high-performance catalyst for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Abstract

The development of efficient, durable and economical catalysts based on non-precious metals for the controllable and fast hydrogen evolution from chemical hydrogen storage materials is highly desirable for the hydrogen economy. Herein, we introduce an advanced catalytic system by in situ encapsulating cobalt phosphide (CoP) nanoparticles into a quasi-metal–organic framework (quasi-Co-MOF-74) through a smart pyrolysis method. The designed synergic structure of CoP@quasi-Co-MOF-74 facilitates the efficient adsorption and activation of reactants, and achieves superior catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB). The extremely high hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 9790 mL min⁻¹ g_cat⁻¹ achieved by this catalytic system is 13.1, 4.4, and 46.5 times higher than that of quasi-Co-MOF-74, CoP, and CoP@C counterparts, respectively. Furthermore, CoP@quasi-Co-MOF-74 also delivers a high turnover frequency (TOF) of 55.9 min⁻¹ and a low activation energy of 38.22 kJ mol⁻¹ for the catalytic hydrolysis of AB, which compares favorably to most of the previously reported transition metal phosphide and cobalt-based catalysts.