A one-step polyol method for well-dispersed and heavily-loaded Ir and Ru catalysts in hydrazine decomposition

Abstract

Hydrazine (N₂H₄) is an excellent medium for hydrogen storage using Ir or Ru catalysts. In this study, heavy-loading and good-dispersion Ir and Ru catalysts were synthesized by a one-step polyol method. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray mapping measurements confirmed the homogeneous dispersions of Ir and Ru on γ-Al₂O₃. The Ir and Ru catalysts both had higher N₂H₄ decomposition activities than that of commercial Ir catalyst. The apparent activation energy of the Ir catalyst was slightly higher than that of Ru catalyst, while the frequency factor of the Ir catalyst was larger than that of Ru catalyst, suggesting that the reactant species on Ir might have better collisions.