Integrating agro‐residue valorization and clean hydrogen production: coconut fiber‐based catalysts for <scp> NaBH <sub>4</sub> </scp> hydrolysis
Abstract A novel phosphoric acid‐treated green coconut fiber (GCF‐C) was developed as a catalyst for hydrogen production from the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ). Characterization techniques confirmed structural modifications, including X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared, and thermogravimetric analysis. The Taguchi method was applied to optimize the conditions, achieving an optimal hydrogen generation rate of 596.67 mLH 2 min −1 g −1 at 60 °C, 300 mg GCF‐C, and 750 mg NaBH 4 . Kinetic analysis indicated an activation energy ( E a ) of 28.95 kJ mol −1 for GCF‐C, significantly reducing the energy barrier for the reaction. The GCF‐C showed improved performance over untreated GCF, with a hydrogen production rate of 104.17 mLH 2 min −1 g −1 . The porous structure of the catalyst, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, enhanced reactant interaction, and X‐ray fluorescence analysis revealed higher phosphorus content, supporting catalytic efficiency. Future work will explore the potential for catalyst reuse and improvements to reduce atmospheric contamination in the reaction setup.
Authors
- Ada Amélia Sanders Lopes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0237-8595)
- Leonardo F. Serafim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3354-7451)
- Eveline de Abreu Menezes
- Rafael Leandro Fernandes Melo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4422-2206)
- Pierre Basílio Almeida Fechine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7822-2354)
- José Cleiton Sousa dos Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1511-5180)
- Isabelly Silveira Freitas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6413-840X)
- Alan Silva de Menezes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8817-0156)
- Diego Lomonaco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5763-4336)
- Marcos Carlos de Mattos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4291-5199)
- Francisco Izaias da Silva Aires (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9072-0211)
- Maria Cristiane Martins de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6535-6276)
- Maurício Quintas Salamba
- Jacob Tchiyeke António Kandjila
- Dayana Nascimento Dari
- Monalisa Moura de Oliveira
- John Herbert da Silva Felix
Institutions
- Universidade Estadual do Ceará (BR)
- Georgia State University (US)
- Universidade Federal do Ceará (BR)
- University for International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Maranhão (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.70158
- Primary Topic
- Hydrogen Storage and Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior