Noble-metal-free Ni10MoCox/Mo–Ni–O as an active and durable catalyst for hydrogen generation from hydrazine monohydrate

Abstract

Catalytic decomposition of hydrazine monohydrate (N₂H₄·H₂O) has emerged as a promising hydrogen generation technology for vehicular and mobile applications. However, existing catalysts are plagued by either excessive cost or poor catalytic performance. We herein report a successful implementation of a surface alloying strategy to fabricate a high-performance and cost-effective catalyst for hydrogen generation from N₂H₄·H₂O using the Ni₁₀Mo/Mo–Ni–O catalyst as the starting material. Incorporation of a small amount of Co by strong electrostatic adsorption method improved the overall catalytic performance. The resulting Ni₁₀MoCo_x/Mo–Ni–O catalyst achieved a turnover frequency of 461 h⁻¹ at 70 °C, with 95% activity retention after 10 cycles, outperforming reported non-precious metal catalysts. Using this catalyst, we developed a high-capacity N₂H₄·H₂O-based hydrogen generation system with rapid response. Our finding highlights the significant potential of multi-component alloys in achieving exceptional catalytic performance and may encourage future exploration of catalytic decomposition of N₂H₄·H₂O as an advanced on-demand hydrogen generation technology.