Catalytic Thermal Decomposition of Ammonia-Borane by Well-Dispersed Metal Nanoparticles on Mesoporous Substrates Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

A method to prepare well-dispersed metal nanoparticles on mesoporous substrates has been developed that uses a magnetron sputtering technique. Pd, Ni, and Pt nanoparticles are deposited on MCM-48, a silica-based mesoporous material, with good dispersion. The samples prepared by this method showed promising catalytic effects on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of ammoniaborane (AB) thermal dehydrogenation. Catalyst-doped AB samples started to release H2 at much lower temperatures and suppressed the emission of volatile byproducts effectively. Furthermore, foaming and volume expansion can be totally avoided. The excellent catalytic performance is due to the synergetic effect of nanoconfinement of MCM-48 and the catalytic behavior of the metal particles.