NiPt nanoparticle immobilization on zirconia (ZrO₂) for the production of hydrogen through selected decomposition of alkaline hydrazine solution

Because the anode oxygen evolution reaction during the electrochemical splitting of water is slow, the oxidation of hydrazine has recently attracted a lot of attention for producing hydrogen. To this end, noble metals play a pivotal role as catalysts owing to their catalytic activity and durability. However, due to the high cost, their use is unsustainable. Here, we report the synthesis of NiPt/ZrO2 using a co-reduction method in which Pt is alloyed with non-noble Ni to lower the catalyst cost. As it formed, the NiPt/ZrO2 nanocatalyst was successfully deployed to produce hydrogen through hydrazine hydrate decomposition. The NiPt alloy nanoparticles exhibit efficient catalytic activity after loading on amorphous ZrO2 support as compared to bare NiPt catalysts. The findings of the current study suggest that the newly synthesized Ni1Pt1-ZrO2 catalyst exhibits good catalytic performance with nearly 100 % hydrogen production selectivity from the dehydrogenation of aqueous hydrazine at 298 K and a turnover frequency value of 296 h-1, which outperforms the majority of the catalysts that are previously reported. We assume that the excellent activity of the fabricated NiPt/ZrO2 was due to ZrO2 support, which enhances metal dispersion and inhibits the aggregation of metallic nanoparticles, thereby improving the active surface area and modifying the surface properties. In addition, the synergistic interaction of Ni, Pt, and ZrO2 further contributes towards better selectivity, catalytic activity, and durability at 298 K in the alkaline medium of NaOH and NaBH4.