Non-noble CuxNi1-x (x = 0, 0.1, 0,2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1) alloy nanoparticles supported on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers (NFs) are successfully fabricated. The fabrication process is executed through an electrospinning technique and in situ reduction in Cu2+ and Ni2+ salts. The as-synthesized catalysts are characterized using standard physiochemical techniques. They demonstrate the formation of bimetallic NiCu alloy supported on PVDF-HFP. The introduced bimetals show better catalytic activity for sodium borohydride (SBH) hydrolysis to produce H2, as compared to monometallic counterparts. The Cu0.7 Ni0.3/PVDF-HFP catalyst possesses the best catalytic performance in SBH hydrolysis as compared to the others bimetallic formulations. The kinetics studies indicate that the reaction is zero order and first order with respect to SBH concentration and catalyst amount, respectively. Furthermore, low activation energy (Ea = 27.81 kJ/mol) for the hydrolysis process of SBH solution is obtained. The excellent catalytic activity is regarded as the synergistic effects between Ni and Cu resulting from geometric effects over electronic effects and uniform distribution of bimetallic NPs. Furthermore, the catalyst displays a satisfying stability for five cycles for SBH hydrolysis. The activity has retained 93% from the initial activity. The introduced catalyst has broad prospects for commercial applications because of easy fabrication and lability.
Keywords: chemical reaction engineering; electrospinning; hydrogen generation; nanofibers; sodium borohydride.