Pulsed laser deposition of nanostructured Co-B-O thin films as efficient catalyst for hydrogen production

Laser Deposited Nanostructured Thin Film Catalyst of Cobalt Oxide for Hydrogen Generation

“…Hydrolysis of NaBH4 in presence of nonnoble catalyst is a widely accepted method for H2 production since it is a cleaner route of generating H2 under moderate conditions. Non-noble metal catalyst systems have displayed good catalytic performance for hydrolysis [1][2]. Among these, Co-based materials have been largely investigated as cost-effective catalysts to accelerate hydrolysis of NaBH4 with good catalytic activity [3].…”

“…Various Co-based materials such as, Co-B, Co-P and Co-Ni have been widely studied as efficient catalysts for hydrolysis reactions [4][5][6]. Catalytic activity of Co-B powder and Pulsed laser deposited (PLD) Co-B films for hydrolysis of NaBH4 have been reported in [2]. Effect of laser and process parameters such as, laser fluence and distance between substrate and target, respectively, on the properties of deposited Co-B films is reported in detailed along with catalytic activity study [2].…”

“…Catalytic activity of Co-B powder and Pulsed laser deposited (PLD) Co-B films for hydrolysis of NaBH4 have been reported in [2]. Effect of laser and process parameters such as, laser fluence and distance between substrate and target, respectively, on the properties of deposited Co-B films is reported in detailed along with catalytic activity study [2]. Different nanostructures of Co oxide including nanoparticles (NPs) [7], nanorods [8], macrocubes [9] and core shell nanowires [10] have also been studied for NaBH4 hydrolysis with favorable catalytic performance.…”

“…In particular, coatings of assembled nanoparticles (NPs) provide high surface area and good stability against agglomeration owing to their immobilized state and adherence to substrate. Thin film catalysts have been prepared by various chemical and physical deposition methods such as, electroless plating [14], magnetic field induced chemical reduction method [15], magnetron sputtering [16] and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) [2]. However, synthesis of nanostructures on the coating surface with desired size and morphology along with advantageous physical and chemical properties is still a difficult task to achieve.…”

“…Among different deposition techniques Pulsed laser Deposition (PLD) stands out as a unique technique on account of its many advantages over others, mainly precise control over almost all the deposition parameters. Effect of various deposition parameters (such as laser fluence, distance between target and substrate) on the catalytic activity of the PLD deposited Co-B thin film catalyst has been reported in [2]. Effect of post heat treatment in air on PLD deposited Co-B thin films (deposited on Si substrate) were also explored in [17].…”