PdB_x catalyst with optimized B-doping for efficient dehydrogenation of formic acid

Developing formic acid (FA) as a promising hydrogen (H₂) carrier relies on the exploration of efficient dehydrogenation catalyst. In this work, well-dispersed Pd-B_x nanoparticles on XC-72 carbon were synthesized and investigated for FA dehydrogenation, wherein the B doping content can be varied by changing solvothermal temperature, B source concentration, and reaction time. With sodium formate as the additive, the optimized Pd–B_0.2/C exhibits a low apparent activation energy of 27.6 kJ mol⁻¹ for FA dehydrogenation, enabling the CO-free H₂ production with a high initial turnover frequency of 1146 h⁻¹ and a H₂ generation rate of 315.79 L h⁻¹ g_Pd⁻¹ at 343 K. System investigations suggest that the strain and electronic effects induced by B doping collaboratively contribute to the superior catalytic activity by promoting the dissociation of the O–H bond in FA molecule and weakening the possible CO adsorption.