Catalytic hydrogen production via NaBH4 hydrolysis: Role of WO3 nanopellets

Hydrogen is a promising alternative energy source due to its high energy capacity and emission-free characteristics, fulfilling the future energy needs from non-fossil sources. This study demonstrates a rapid, in situ, and cost-effective method for hydrogen production through the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) supported by tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanopellets (NPs) synthesized via microwave-assisted co-precipitation method. The WO3 NPs exhibit excellent catalytic activity, achieving a hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 339.1 mL min−1 g−1 at 25 °C, surged to 485.8 mL min−1 g−1 at increasing NaBH4 solution. At an optimal pH of 8, an HGR of 340.8 mL min−1 g−1 is achieved, and the lowest activation energy of 27.8 kJ mol−1 allows efficient catalysis, reaching an HGR of 935.4 mL min−1 g−1 at 70 °C. The stability of the catalyst was tested for over five cycles and a step reaction was also introduced to control the H2 production. These results highlight the potential of WO3 NPs as a robust and economical catalyst for sustainable hydrogen production, offering significant advantages in scalability and efficiency for clean energy applications.