Electrocatalytic method for hydrogen production
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsSaheed Ganiyu, Esraa Ragab Abas Kotob, Khalid Alhooshani, Ijaz Hussain
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Abstract
A method of producing hydrogen by an electrochemical ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) includes disposing an anode and a cathode in an aqueous electrolyte solution including dissolved ammonia and potassium hydroxide, and applying a potential difference between the anode and the cathode. The anode includes, based on the weight of the anode from about 98.0 percent by weight (wt. %) to about 99.5 wt. % of a polycrystalline matrix including copper hydroxide and from about 0.5 wt. % to about 2.0 wt. % of nanoparticles of crystalline platinum (Pt) dispersed in the polycrystalline matrix.
Claims3
A method of producing hydrogen by an electrochemical ammonia oxidation reaction, comprising:
- A. making an anode by a process comprising the following steps performed under an inert atmosphere;
- 1. Dissolving copper (II) chloride (CuCl2) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in water to form a first mixture;
- 2. Adding ascorbic acid to the first mixture to form a second mixture and allowing the reduction reaction to proceed to completion;
- 3. Adding sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to the second mixture under agitation at a temperature of about 30° C. to about 90° C. to form a third mixture and produce a solid;
- 4. Separating the solid from the third mixture to provide copper nanoparticles;
- 5. Forming a 1 wt. % platinum (Pt) solution derived from a PtCl3 precursor in 0.5M NaOH and combining it with the solid from the third mixture to form a fourth mixture and agitating the fourth mixture at a temperature of from 10° C. to 80° C. for a duration of from 1 to 10 hours to produce an anodic material;
- 6. Separating the anodic material from the fourth mixture and forming the anode;
- wherein the anode comprises:
- a. from 98.0 wt. % to 99.5 wt. % of a polycrystalline matrix comprising copper hydroxide (CuOH), the polycrystalline matrix further comprising:
- i. substantially spherical aggregates of nanoparticles of the copper hydroxide, having a mean grain size as determined by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, of from 50 nm to 100 nm;
- and
- ii. Substantially spherical aggregates of elemental copper (Cu) nanoparticles, wherein a fraction of the elemental copper (Cu) nanoparticles have a particle size less than about 10 nm, as determined by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy;
- and
- b. from 0.5 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % of nanoparticles of crystalline platinum (Pt) having a mean grain size, as determined by High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, of from 0.5 nm to 5 nm;
- wherein the nanoparticles of crystalline Pt are uniformly dispersed in the polycrystalline matrix comprising copper hydroxide;
- B. disposing the anode and a cathode in an aqueous electrolyte solution comprising dissolved ammonia and potassium hydroxide;
- and
- C. applying a potential difference between the anode and the cathode to produce hydrogen by the electrochemical ammonia oxidation reaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.