Synergistic enhancement of hydrogen production from ammonia borane hydrolysis by the metal-support interaction and CuCo LSPR effect

Hydrogen generation from ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis over supported non-noble metal catalysts holds great promise. However, the low electron density at non-noble metal active sites and the difficulty in enhancing metal-support interactions remain critical challenges. In this work, K-intercalated crystalline g-C 3 N 4 (CNNK) was synthesized as a support for deposited CuCo bimetallic nanoparticles. The incorporated K + ions function as electron transfer channels. Compared to bulk g-C 3 N 4 (CNB), the CNNK exhibits a reduced work function from 4.2 eV to 3.4 eV. Moreover, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of CuCo induces electron redistribution and enriches electron density on Co surfaces. Under visible-light irradiation, Cu 0.5 Co 0.5 /CNNK-3 shows much higher H 2 generation rate than Cu 0.5 Co 0.5 /CNB with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 36 min −1 at 298 K and 58 min −1 at 313 K. This work offers a strategy for the rational design of highly efficient catalysts for hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis.