Enhancing the surface area and activity of NiB amorphous alloys by dealloying NiFeB for the hydrolysis of NaBH4

A series of NiB amorphous alloy catalysts with high specific surface areas were successfully prepared by dealloying NiFeB precursor alloy using dilute hydrochloric acid. Their structure, morphology, and pore characteristics were characterized via XRD, SEM, and BET analysis, respectively. Effects of the hydrochloric acid concentration and corrosion time on the catalyst performances for sodium borohydride hydrolysis were investigated. The results showed that NiB amorphous alloy catalyst prepared by dealloying NiFeB at 0.12 M HCl aqueous solution for 1 h exhibited the optimal catalytic activity. Through kinetic experiments at different temperatures, the apparent activation energy of the reaction is calculated to be 44.3 kJ/mol. This study provides a new strategy for the design of low-cost and efficient sodium borohydride hydrolysis catalysts, which is of great significance for promoting the practical application of hydrogen energy storage and transportation technology. • NiB amorphous alloys with high surface area were prepared by dealloying NiFeB via dilute HCl acid. • The catalyst prepared by dealloying NiFeB at 0.12 M HCl solution for 1 h showed the optimal activity. • It shows a low activation energy (44.3 kJ/mol), outperforming many reported Ni-based catalysts. • This work offers a new strategy for designing efficient, low-cost NaBH 4 hydrolysis catalysts.