Nano-silica support affects the activity of silver nanoparticles towards the hydrogen evolution reaction by (CH3)2COH˙ radicals.

Silica supported silver nanoparticles, SiO2‐Ag0‐NPs, catalyze the hydrolysis of BH4−. A comparison of the isotopic composition of the hydrogen formed in the hydrolysis of BD4− points out that the contribution of hydrides, the Heyrovsky mechanism, rather than that of hydrogen atoms, the Tafel mechanism, to the hydrogen evolution is considerably larger for the SiO2‐Ag0‐NPs catalyzed process than for the Ag0‐NPs catalyzed process. This indicates some electron transfer from the SiO2 to the silver that increases the negative charge on the Ag0‐NPs.

No abstract