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Published on: December 6, 2021
Coffee ground derived biochar embedded Ov-NiCoO2 nanoparticles for efficiently catalyzing a boron‑hydrogen bond break
Jianan Li1, Wenbo Sun2, Peiling Gao2
1State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Process, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemical and Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Researchers developed a novel catalyst from coffee waste and NiCoO2 nanoparticles to efficiently break boron-hydrogen bonds. This sustainable approach enhances catalytic activity for environmental and hydrogen energy applications.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
- Environmental Chemistry
Background:
- The boron-hydrogen (B-H) bond break is crucial for environmental treatment and hydrogen energy.
- Noble metal catalysts are effective but costly; transition metal catalysts offer a cost-effective alternative.
- Developing efficient and sustainable catalysts is a key research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To utilize coffee ground waste as a biochar substrate for catalyst development.
- To synthesize and characterize ultrafine NiCoO2 nanoparticles on biochar for B-H bond activation.
- To investigate the role of oxygen vacancies in enhancing catalytic performance.
Main Methods:
- Coffee grounds were converted into biochar to serve as a support material.
- Ultrafine NiCoO2 nanoparticles were loaded onto the biochar substrate.
- Vacuum-calcination was employed to create oxygen vacancies in the catalyst.
- Catalytic activity was tested for 4-nitrophenol reduction and ammonia borane dehydrogenation.
- Theoretical calculations were used to elucidate the reaction mechanism.
Main Results:
- NiCoO2 nanoparticles were highly dispersed on the biochar due to functional groups.
- Oxygen vacancies were successfully introduced and enhanced catalytic activity.
- The catalyst demonstrated efficient B-H bond breaking in both tested reactions.
- Satisfactory catalytic stability was observed over multiple reaction cycles.
Conclusions:
- Coffee waste can be repurposed into a functional biochar support for catalysts.
- Oxygen vacancies significantly boost the catalytic activity for B-H bond cleavage.
- This approach offers a sustainable method for catalyst design in energy and environmental catalysis.
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