PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON FROM ACORN CUPS VIA HCl-FeCl2 CO-ACTIVATION FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION THROUGH NaBH4 SOLVOLYSIS

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 228 - 246, 30.12.2025

Uğur Işık

https://doi.org/10.51477/mejs.1805593

Abstract

This current study reports the synthesis, characterization, and optimization of a novel catalyst (Ac-HCl-Fe) derived from Acorn cups biomass waste for hydrogen production via sodium borohydride (NaBH4) solvolysis. The catalyst characterization was conducted using FTIR, SEM, and SEM-EDX techniques. Catalytic performance tests showed the efficiency of Ac-HCl-Fe in hydrogen generation, with parameters including catalyst loading, NaBH4 quantity, and reaction temperature significantly influencing the kinetics. Remarkably, the NaBH4 methanolysis reaction catalyzed by Ac-HCl-Fe was completed in 4.0 minutes, while the NaBH4 solvolysis in a binary propylene glycol/methanol (1:1, v/v) solvent system reached completion within just 0.9 minutes, producing a similar volume of hydrogen (~670 mL). The HGR was determined to be 68,300  mL min⁻1gcat⁻1 for the NaBH4 solvolysis reaction conducted in a binary propylene glycol/methanol (1:1, v/v) solvent system at 30 °C. In addition, the effective activation energy was calculated to be 32.36 kJ/mol, that is relatively low compared to other activated carbon-based catalysts reported for similar applications. Overall, the results show that Ac-HCl-Fe is a promising, efficient, and sustainable catalyst for hydrogen generation by solvolysis of NaBH4, especially in binary solvent systems.

Keywords

Hydrogen generation , Sodium borohydride , Solvolysis , Propylene glycol , Binary solvent system.

Ethical Statement

Not applicable.

Supporting Institution

Artvin Coruh University Scientific Research Project Coordination

Project Number

2023.TAB.F65.02.01

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